Fieldtripping
by maxandkiz
Summary: Sammy's Kindergarten class is going on a field trip to the zoo. What could possibly go wrong? Sequel to Sammy's First Day Disaster.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Fieldtripping

John Winchester pulled into the parent parking lot and sat back to relax for a moment before he got his boys. He couldn't believe two months had already gone by since the incident with Mrs. Horton. Sammy had rebounded quickly. He had had a couple of run-ins with Bo on the playground but the bully had been swiftly dealt with. Sammy loved school now and he thought the world of his teacher. Every other sentence started with "Mrs. Sheppard said" or "Mrs. Sheppard told us". And the two boys that had talked him into playing blocks with them had become his two best friends. Sammy, Nolan, and Christian were practically inseparable. They had even had play dates at each others' houses. Sammy was thoroughly enjoying his school experience. And Dean actually liked school for once. He was the first one up and ready in the mornings. Sure he still grumbled about homework but he was excited about going everyday. John knew that was due to all the projects his teacher liked to spring on them. Since the car race, which Dean had won, there had been paper airplane races, exploding volcanoes, and rockets made from film canisters that they launched with Alka-Seltzer.

John sighed. Both his boys were happy here, and he hated to take that away from them. But there were only a couple more hunts in the surrounding area. Those would take a few weeks to complete and then they were headed out. He was already on the lookout for another hot spot. He just hoped that the next school didn't have any Mrs. Horton's in it. One was more than enough. _"Too bad Mrs. Sheppard and Ms. Bridges can't go with us"_ he thought as he climbed out of the car and walked toward the school building. Stopping by the office he signed the boys out and headed for the kindergarten hall. Noticing a new picture and story on Sammy's hanger outside the door John stopped to check it out. Sammy had drawn their house in the middle with stick figures labeled "Dad", "Dean", and "me". In the top right corner was a carefully drawn church with a figure labeled "Pastor Jim" and in the bottom left was the junk yard with a stick figure wearing a ball cap and labeled "Uncle Bobby". John turned his attention to the story under the picture. Sam had written a long story about his extended family. John was amazed at how well his baby boy wrote. Sammy was smart as a whip just like his mama. John looked at the picture for a minute more before walking to the door. Looking in he saw the children packing to go home.

Sammy, Nolan, and Christian looked up from their book bags when they heard the door open. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" Sammy shouted as he launched himself at John.

"Hey, sport" John said throwing Sam into the air and bracing himself for what he knew was coming next.

"Mr. Winchester! Mr. Winchester!" Nolan and Christian hollered as they each grabbed on to one of John's legs.

John reached down and ruffled both boys' hair. "How's it going guys?" he asked as he attempted to pry the boys off him. When his efforts proved fruitless, he called for backup. "Ah, Mrs. Sheppard a little help here?"

"Alright boys that's enough" Mrs. Sheppard told them hiding her smile behind her bus list. "Let Mr. Winchester go before you hurt him. Sorry about that, John." she added as she shooed the boys back to their seats.

"Don't worry about it." John replied. "They're just playing." Looking at Sammy he asked, "Ready to go, kiddo?"

"Wait a minute" Mrs. Sheppard called. "Got a question for you before you go."

"Okay, shoot" John responded.

"We're going on a field trip to the zoo on Monday, and I was wondering if you would be able to go with us." Mrs. Sheppard said.

"Yeah, daddy can you go with us, please?" Sammy begged with Nolan and Christian joining in.

Not wanting to be trapped in a bus with a bunch of hyperactive kindergarteners John quickly thought up an excuse. "Sorry guys, I have a job out of town that day." he informed them while trying to look disappointed about missing the trip.

"That's okay, Mr. Winchester. Maybe you can go next time." Mrs. Sheppard stated.

"Sure, maybe I can" John said. _"Not"_ he mentally added. "See you on Monday, Mrs. Sheppard" he called as he went out the door. He made it halfway down the hall before Dean came barreling around the corner. "Dean" he gruffly bellowed.

Dean came to a screeching halt in the middle of the hall. "Sorry, dad" he said smirking. Waiting for his dad and then falling into step beside him Dean started filling his dad and brother in on the latest news. "Guess what we're gonna do next week! We're gonna watch a show about tornados and then we're gonna make tornados in bottles!"

"Guess what we're doing, Dean" Sammy countered. "We're going to the zoo! And we're gonna see the monkeys and the tigers and the elephants and the zebras and. . . . "

"I think he gets the idea, Sammy" John interrupted as they stepped out of the school and headed to the waiting impala. Turning to his eldest he asked, "You have any homework, Dean?"

"Just one math page, dad. I finished the rest already." Dean informed him. "Why?"

John opened the car door and deposited Sammy inside before answering. "I thought we'd go camping by the lake this weekend. What do you say, sport? You up for some fishing and target practice?"

"You mean it" Dean squealed. "I get to shoot a real gun! Cool! Hugging his father he added, "You're the best dad in the whole world!"

"_It's gonna be a great weekend."_ John thought as he climbed into the impala and drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Sorry for the delay guys. RL decided to show me whose boss.

Previously on Supernatural- _"It's gonna be a great weekend."_ John thought as he climbed into the impala and drove away.

John decided to let the boys sleep in the next morning while he loaded the impala. He silently walked around the house grabbing the things they would need for their camping trip and stuffing them in the trunk of the car. After the last bag was loaded, he went over his checklist making sure he had packed everything they could possible need. Satisfied that he had it all John headed back inside to get the boys. Opening the bedroom door he wasn't surprised to find an excited Dean sitting on his bed dressed and ready to go. "Go get in the car Dean" John whispered, "I'll bring Sammy." Dean practically flew out of the room as his dad crossed over to the bed to pick up his baby boy. Somehow John managed to carry Sammy to the impala and place him in the back without waking him up. Settling himself into the driver's seat and starting the engine he turned to Dean and quietly said, "Why don't you go back to sleep for a while, kiddo? It's a long drive to the park."

Dean wasn't the least bit sleepy but he decided to humor his dad. "Okay, dad. Wake me up when we get there." he replied before laying his head back against the seat and closing his eyes. He was asleep in seconds.

Dean was having the best dream. He was on his first hunt with his dad, and it was awesome! They were after a werewolf that had been attacking anyone coming into the woods. Catching sight of the beast, Dean slowly raised his gun and was just about to shoot it when his father's voice called out, "Wake up, Dean." Wake up? He was awake wasn't he? Noticing someone shaking him and hearing his dad ordering him to wake up again brought Dean out of his dream world. Opening his eyes he frowned up at John. "Couldn't you have waited five more minutes? I was just about to shoot the werewolf" Dean whined.

"Well, I could have left you in the car while Sammy and I ate breakfast" John responded smirking at the horrified look that spread across Dean's face.

Seeing the restaurant out of the windshield, Dean jumped out of the car. "Food break! Why didn't you say so in the first place, dad." Dean stood tapping his foot waiting while his father slowly helped Sammy get dressed. Getting impatient Dean shouted "Hurry up guys! I'm starving!"

Smiling John stood and took Sammy and Dean by the hand. "C'mon, Sammy. We better get going before your brother dies of starvation."

"Ha, Ha, very funny. You been taking lessons from Bobby again, dad?" Dean countered. "Cause I gotta tell you his comebacks are really lame."

Laughing the small family walked in the restaurant and were seated in minutes. Dean read the kids' menu to Sammy and helped him with the puzzles on the back of the placemat while they waited for the waitress. After she came and took their order, John took the boys to the bathroom. They all did their business and washed their hands and faces. John gave up on Sammy's bed head when it refused to lie down no matter what he tried. Their food was waiting at the table for them by the time they made it back. The next several minutes were silent except for occasional fork hitting the plate or Sammy slurping his juice.

"Slow down on the apple juice, Sammy" John warned him. "We still have a long way to go."

"Okay, daddy" Sammy said as he obediently put the juice cup back down.

"_Sammy's sure behaving himself today"_ John thought as he watched his boys eat. _"Wonder how long that'll last?"_ Out loud he told the boys to finish eating. A few minutes later found them back on the road.

Several hours later John was regretting picking a spot so far away. The traffic games the boys had been playing had been bad enough on their own but once the traffic became almost nonexistent Sammy had decided to serenade them. He didn't know what possessed Dean to teach his little brother that song about the bottles on the wall. Sammy had started singing with 99 bottles an hour ago and he hadn't reached one yet. That was because Dean kept calling out a number and messing Sam's count up which made him start the song all over again. Needing a break John began searching for a turnoff. Spying a dirt road off to the left, he turned and drove down the road for a few miles before coming to a field. Pulling over and stopping the car he ordered the boys out and proceeded to lead them to the trunk. John opened the trunk and grabbed Sammy's shoebox of cars, some old soup cans, and his own handgun. The family walked to a bare spot in the middle of the field before John stopped and turned to the boys. "Sammy, I want you to stay right here and play with your cars while Dean and I go over there to work. Okay, sport?" John asked.

Sammy looked from his cars to his father. "Okay, daddy. I stay here." he answered as he sat down and started taking out his toys.

"C'mon, Dean. Let's go over there." John told him pointing to a spot well away from Sammy. Walking over John set the cans in a row on the ground before taking Dean several feet in front of them. Standing behind his son John placed the gun in Dean's hands and closed his hands around Dean's. Steadying his boy's hands he whispered directions and helped him aim at the first can before letting go. Dean's smile lit up his face as his first shot hit the can. After he had successfully shot every can, John decided to make it a little harder by hanging the cans from an old tree. Walking over he began stringing the cans to the tree.

Sammy sat running his cars through the dirt town he had made. He was happily playing when the urge first made itself known. He needed to go potty but he couldn't go right there in the open. Somebody might see him. He quickly looked around for a suitable spot and spied several trees on the other side of the field. That would be a perfect place but his dad had told him to stay there. Not wanting a spanking for disobeying Sammy turned and called, "Daddy!"

John was in the middle of hanging a can when he heard Sam holler. _"He lasted longer than I thought he would"_ John thought as he glanced over at his youngest. Seeing nothing wrong he yelled back, "Just a minute, Sammy. Dean and I are almost through."

"_A minute. I can wait a minute. Mrs. Sheppard said that's just sixty seconds."_ Sammy thought as he sat watching his father and brother. Crossing his legs Sammy started counting to sixty to take his mind off his problem. Making it to sixty Sammy looked up at his family expecting to see them coming his way. Instead he noticed that they were still playing with the cans. Frustrated Sammy hollered, "Daddy! I need. . ."

"Not now, Sammy!" John interrupted him. "Play with your cars and let us finish."

Sammy couldn't believe his ears. He had to go and he had to go now. He couldn't wait any longer. He started to head for the trees and stopped. He still didn't want a spanking but he didn't want to have an accident either. Changing course he walked towards his father and brother. He was going to make his daddy listen to him. He carefully made his way to his family and walked right in front of them.

A slight breeze blowing was making it difficult for Dean to hit the now moving cans. Seeing his son getting discouraged John stepped up behind him, placed his hands around Dean's, and helped him aim at the next can. Steadying the gun John showed Dean how to aim at a moving target. He was about to release his hold on the gun when Sammy stepped right in front of them! Thinking fast John yanked upward on the gun startling Dean who then pulled the trigger. John watched in horror as Sammy immediately fell on the ground screaming.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- He was about to release his hold on the gun when Sammy stepped right in front of them! Thinking fast John yanked upward on the gun startling Dean who then pulled the trigger. John watched in horror as Sammy immediately fell on the ground screaming.

John stood frozen for a few seconds before his paternal instincts kicked in. Racing over he dropped to the ground in front of his screaming baby boy who was still on the ground with his hands over his ears. He gave Sam a thorough once over looking for any sign of a bullet wound or other injury. Relieved to find nothing John pulled his youngest into a hug and started slowly rocking to calm them both down. "Shh, you're okay, Sammy. It's alright" John whispered to the frightened child.

Dean couldn't believe what had just happened. Shaking hands dropped the gun as the last moments replayed in his mind. Oblivious to everything around him his whole body shook as he recalled pulling the trigger and seeing his brother fall. _"I killed Sammy" _he thought as the images froze on his little brother hitting the ground. _"Sammy's dead and it's all my fault."_ The thoughts and images continued to run in circles making Dean unaware of the events happening right in front of him.

After several minutes of rocking John finally calmed down enough to stop shaking. "Sammy's alright. He wasn't hit." he reminded himself over and over as his fear slowly ebbed away. That same fear quickly turned to anger at what almost happened. Sammy was supposed to stay with the toys far away from danger. He had told them that he would stay there. There was no excuse for him to be walking in front of them like that. His anger reached a boiling point and had daddy morphing into "mad dad". John stood Sammy up with his hands on his son's shoulders as he began scolding his little one. "Samuel Winchester, what in hell did you think you were doing walking in front of a gun like that? Dean could have shot you!" John yelled. "Didn't I tell you to stay over there and play with your cars?"

Sammy stared wide-eyed at his now angry daddy before stammering out, "Ye yes, sir. But I. . ."

"No buts, Sammy" John told him. "I told you to stay put for a reason. I didn't want you to get hurt. You know you're supposed to do what you're told." Seeing his son start crying again broke John's heart but he knew he had to impress upon Sammy how important it was to follow the rules. Ignoring his son's crying he kept scolding. "Next time you do what I tell you to do and don't you ever walk in front of anyone holding a gun again!" John shouted ending the lecture with five hard swats to Sammy's backside making his youngest cry even harder. With the scolding and punishment over daddy reappeared to offer forgiveness and comfort. Pulling his son into a hug John was surprised when Sammy squirmed and wiggled his way free of the hug and ran straight to his protector; his big brother, Dean.

Dean was standing stock still his mind focused on the frightening events of earlier. Pulling the trigger and seeing his brother fall replayed over and over as guilt and sadness started to take control of his heart. Dean's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as someone plowed into him taking them both to the ground. Dazed Dean looked down to find Sammy very much alive and clinging to him for dear life. All feelings of sadness disappeared as he threw his arms around his little brother and drew him into his lap. "Hey squirt, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" he calmly inquired.

Shaking his head Sammy looked up and his tearful puppy eyes locked with Dean's. "Daddy spanked me. He's mean." Sammy whined.

Dean glanced over at his father before staring back down at Sammy. "He did, huh? Was it because you walked in front of me? Dean quizzed.

"Yeah" Sammy whispered "But I had to. He wouldn't listen to me and I had to. . ."

"Had to what, runt?" Dean asked. When his little brother looked down instead of answering, Dean's eyes followed his brother's and he immediately noticed the problem. Several smart remarks made themselves known but he didn't have the heart to pick on the kid after everything he'd been through today. "It's okay Sammy." Dean soothed as he patted his brother on the back. "Let's go back to the impala and get you changed. How does that sound?" At Sammy's nod Dean managed to get them both on their feet and headed toward the car. "Dad, Sammy and I are going back to the car. We've had enough target practice." he called to his father.

Stunned John watched as his boys left him standing in the field alone. Maybe he needed to have a discussion with the oldest, too. John quickly snatched up all their belongings and marched towards the impala intending to talk with Dean. What he saw made him change his mind. Sammy was standing beside the back door with Dean helping him put on clean jeans. _"Crap"_ John thought. _"I didn't even notice he'd had an accident."_ Coming up to the boys he knelt down. "Sammy, why didn't you tell me you had to go?" he asked.

"I tried. But you wouldn't listen." Sammy mumbled staring down at his shoes.

"That's what you wanted?" John inquired. He felt like the worst father in the world when Sammy shook his head still refusing to look at him. "I'm sorry, Sammy. Daddy got caught up in helping Dean. Think you can forgive your old man, kiddo? I promise I'll listen to you next time." John pleaded.

Looking up at his dad, Sammy put his little hand on his chin and rubbed it. "You were bad daddy. So now you've gotta be punished." Sammy stated shaking a finger at his daddy.

"Are you gonna spank him, Sammy?" Dean asked with a mischievous smirk on his face.

Sammy thought for a second before answering. "Nope. Worse." he answered turning to his dad and declaring, "Daddy, you can't play with your toys for a whole week!"

"Toys? What toys?" Dean queried.

"The toys in that big box in the trunk." Sammy stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

John's mouth dropped open in shock. Sammy knew about the hunting stuff in the trunk. He definitely needed to learn to hide things better. Sighing, John stared at his youngest and pretended to pout. "A whole week?" he whined.

"Yeah" Sammy said. Seeing his daddy's sad face Sam walked up and hugged John. "It's okay, daddy. I forgive you." he whispered.

"I knew I should have brought a camera" Dean mumbled. "Just wait till Uncle Bobby hears about this."

Picking himself up John ruffled Sammy's hair before shooing the boys back in the impala. Making a U-turn on the dirt road John drove towards the main highway thankful that that part of the trip was over. He didn't think he and Dean would be doing any target practice for quite a while. Pulling back onto the highway John smiled as he noticed that both boys were already fast asleep. Hoping the rest of the drive would be a quiet one John settled in and enjoyed the peace of being on the open road.

A couple of hours later John finally turned into the Magnolia Springs State Park entrance. Stopping at the ranger station he paid for a cabin and got a map of the area. Thanking the ranger John hurried back out to the impala and followed the ranger's directions to cabin 12. Shutting off the engine he took a moment to admire the beautiful setting that was home for the next few days. The small cabin was set right beside a sparkling lake surrounded by a forest. The boys were going to love it. John turned and started shaking Dean. "Wake up, kiddo. We're here." he called.

Sitting up and rubbing his eyes Dean took in the cabin and the lake. "Awesome, dad!" he yelled as he climbed out of the car. "Can we go fishing?"

"Maybe later" John replied as he gently woke Sammy. "Let's get our gear inside and head back to the main area. There are some things to see there, and they have a big playground."

The small family made short work of unloading the car and settling into the cabin. After a lunch of PB&J sandwiches and a quick bathroom break, they walked to the main buildings. John led the boys to a small building that housed an aquarium. The boys stopped at every display asking about the fish they saw. One of the park rangers came out and told the boys a little about the kinds of fish and other animals they might see in the park. He even brought a baby alligator out for them to see and touch. Once they had seen everything twice, John and the boys headed to a little bridge over an equally small stream. John gave each of the boys some pieces of bread to throw in the water. As soon as the first piece landed the boys were amazed to see turtles and fish come from all around to get a bite. They spent a long time watching the turtles and fish swim and fight over the food. When they bored of watching, they decided to try out the playground at the top of the hill. The boys had a blast swinging, sliding, and climbing on the equipment. As John sat watching all the fun, a motion on the bank of the stream caught his eye. Calling the boys over John pointed out the activity near the stream. They all watched as an alligator crawled into the stream and swam down to where several turtles were lying on the bank. Once there the gator jumped out of the water grabbing some of the turtles in its strong jaws before sinking back into the water.

"Awesome!" Dean shouted. "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

"Wow!" Sammy hollered turning to his dad. "Daddy, can we get an alligator for a pet?"

"No, Sammy. Alligators are wild animals. Not pets." John told him. Seeing Sam's pout and determined to stop an argument before it started John added, "How about we do some fishing now, boys?"

"Yeah!" they both yelled.

They walked back to their cabin, gathered their poles and equipment, and headed to the lake. John handed Dean a pole and bait and then gave Sammy a small jar. "Hey, Sammy. Why don't you see if you can catch some "pet" tadpoles while we fish? You can keep them in your room while we're here." John said.

"Really!" Sammy squealed.

"Yes, really." John said smiling. "Just stay close to us. Okay, buddy?"

"Okay, daddy" Sammy hollered as he sat down on the bank and began trying to catch his "pets".

The three Winchesters spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening on the bank of the lake not catching anything but having a great time. John was pleased with himself. Sure he hadn't caught any fish but he had managed to spend a whole afternoon fishing with his boys. He had kept an eye out for the gators that freely roamed the park but apparently they had better things to do than bother tourists. John was just about to call it quits when he heard Dean holler that he had a bite. Striding over he helped his son reel in his catch; an old boot. Laughing they packed up the fishing gear and turned to collect the youngest member of the family.

Sammy stood grinning at his father and brother with both hands behind his back. "I found a new pet, daddy. His name is Fluffy, and he's really small and cute. Can I keep him, please?" he begged.

"Uh, Sammy, where did you find it?" John asked.

"I found him in the bushes by the bank, daddy" Sammy innocently told him. "You wanna meet Fluffy?"

"Alright, Sammy. Let me see Fluffy." John replied while mentally pleading, _"Please don't be a skunk. Anything but a skunk."_ John and Dean both watched as Sammy brought his hands out and held up a snake for them to see. Before John could say anything, the snake whipped around and bit Sammy's hand.

Author's Note- Magnolia Springs is a State Park where I live, and they do have all the things in the story including the gators. One of my first grade classes saw one of the gators attack the turtles. It was all they talked about for weeks.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke. Dairy Queen isn't mine either.

Previously on Supernatural- John and Dean both watched as Sammy brought his hands out and held up a snake for them to see. Before John could say anything, the snake whipped around and bit Sammy's hand.

Sammy screamed and threw the snake on the ground. Holding his left hand he ran to his family grabbing a hold of his big brother with his good hand. "Fluffy bit me and it hurts!" Sammy cried as he held his hand up for his brother to fix.

"Dean, use the bottled water to wash the bite out and keep his arm down by his side." John ordered. "I've gotta get that snake!" Reaching behind him John pulled out his hunting knife as his eyes searched the ground for the snake. He spied it slithering towards the woods and quickly aimed and threw his knife. The knife flew through the air before hitting the target separating the snake's head from its body. Dashing over John examined the snake trying to determine if it was poisonous or not. It looked to be about 15 inches long and had red, yellow, and black stripes. _"Oh crap"_ thought John. _"There were two different snakes that had that particular coloring. One was poisonous and the other wasn't. He vaguely recalled learning a rhyme about the difference as a boy growing up. How did that rhyme go again? Red and black or was it yellow and black?" _John quickly gave up trying to remember deciding instead to get Sammy and the dead snake to the ranger station as quickly as possible.

Running over to the fishing gear he snatched the net. "Dean, take Sammy and get in the car." John shouted as he scooped the snake into the net. He dashed into the cabin, plucked the car keys off the table, and raced to the impala. Climbing in he immediately started the car and threw it in reverse. As he backed out of the drive, he glanced back into the frightened eyes of his two boys. "Don't worry guys. The ranger will get Sammy's hand all fixed up. Nothing to it" John soothed as he sped to the ranger station. Once there he parked the impala as close to the station's door as he could before getting the boys out. Picking up Sammy in one hand and the net containing the snake in the other John dashed into the building with Dean hot on his heels. Inside the small building he spotted the same ranger who had talked to the boys earlier in the day. "Ranger Orr, I need some help!" he called. "Sammy's been bitten by a snake!"

Ranger Orr was just about to go home for the day when he saw the Winchester family burst through the doors. As he was heading their way, he heard the father call out that the youngest had been bitten. Picking up the pace he quickly made his way to their side and led them to the first aid room in the back. "Why don't you sit in that chair and put Sammy in your lap so I can get a look at the bite?" he instructed as he started getting supplies off various shelves. "Do you know what kind of snake it was, Mr. Winchester?"

"No, I don't. But I killed it and brought it with us." John replied while he rubbed Sammy's back to calm him. "It's in the net by the door."

Changing directions, Ranger Orr walked over to the net and examined the snake. It had a pattern of red, black, and yellow stripes on its body. The red and black stripes touching told the ranger that it was a Scarlet King Snake, a completely harmless snake. "It's alright, Mr. Winchester. It's just a king snake and its venom isn't poisonous. I'll have Sammy here fixed up in no time." Ranger Orr explained smiling. "Why don't you use that sink and wash the bite with some soap and warm water while I get a few things out."

John took Sammy over to the sink and carefully washed the bite out before returning to the chair. Feeling Sam tense up as the ranger approached with the first aid supplies John started rubbing his son's back again and whispering "its okay, Sammy."

Ranger Orr sat down in a chair next to the father and son and extended his hand. "Hey, Sammy. Can I see your hand for a minute so I can make it better?" The ranger asked. Seeing the child shake his head and shrink back Ranger Orr retracted his hand and said, "No? Okay, how about if your daddy fixes it then?"

Sammy leaned back against his daddy and shook his head at the ranger once again. "I want Dean. He always takes care of my boo boos and makes them better." he whispered. "Can Dean fix it, please daddy?"

John was no match for the puppy eyes of his youngest son. He caved the second Sam turned "the look" on him. "Alright, Sammy. Dean can take care of it." John declared motioning for Dean.

"What do I do?" Dean asked the ranger as he took his little brother's hand.

"You just need to put this cream and a band-aid on it." the ranger instructed handing Dean the supplies. "You treat it the same as if he had a cut or a scrape."

Taking the supplies Dean gently rubbed the antibiotic cream on the bite and then placed a small band-aid on top. Leaning down he kissed the bandage before saying, "There you go, runt. All better."

"Thanks, Dean. You're the best!" Sammy shouted as he climbed off his father's lap.

Smirking Dean ruffled his little brother's hair as he turned to the ranger. "Ranger Orr, how did you know that the snake was harmless?"

Ranger Orr led Dean over to the snake and pointed out the color pattern. "This snake looks a lot like another snake, a coral snake that is venomous. There's an old rhyme to help people remember the difference. It goes- Red next to black is safe for Jack, red next to yellow will kill any fellow." Turning to Sammy the ranger added, "Next time you see a snake outside, leave it alone. Okay, champ?"

"Yes, sir" Sammy answered. "I don't like Fluffy anymore. He was mean."

"Fluffy?" Ranger Orr questioned.

"Don't ask" John told him. "C'mon guys. Let's go back to our cabin so Ranger Orr can have some peace and quiet."

"Wait a minute, Mr. Winchester." Ranger Orr said. "I have something the boys might like." Stepping over to a small desk the ranger pulled what looked like coloring books out. "Boys, these are official wildlife books for the park. There are lots of different activities to do. If you complete five of them before you go home, you'll earn a junior ranger badge."

"Cool!" Dean and Sammy hollered as they took the books. "Thanks, Ranger Orr!"

"Anytime, boys" the ranger responded. "Just do me a favor and stay clear of snakes from now on."

John thanked the ranger again before piling the boys in the car. Deciding they all deserved a treat after their long day, he drove into town. Stopping at the local Dairy Queen the family enjoyed burgers, fries, and shakes for supper. John let the boys play in the ball pit while he drank his coffee and read the paper. An hour later he called his boys in, took them to the restroom, and drove back to the cabin.

Pulling up to the cabin John turned to look at his boys who were playing "Rock, Paper, Scissors" in the back. "Dean, you and Sammy go take your baths. When you're finished, you can pick a book for me to read before bed." John ordered. He walked down to the lake and picked up all their fishing gear they had left before going in the cabin. Sitting on the couch he let the sounds of his sons playing in the tub wash over him. He had come close to losing Sammy twice today. Too close. He never wanted to have another day like today. John's hands started to shake as the events from the day replayed in his mind. He didn't know what he'd do if something happened to one of his boys.

A very wet Sammy came barreling around the corner of the living room in nothing but a towel. Hearing Dean catching up Sammy squealed and launched himself at John. "Daddy!" he hollered. "Help! Dean's gonna get me!"

John was abruptly brought back from his memories when a wet body plowed into him. Looking down into the smiling face of his baby John couldn't help but smile. "Dean's after you, huh? Don't worry. I won't let him get you."

About that time Dean came around the corner and skidded to a stop. "Sorry, dad. I tried to get him dried off and into his pajamas but he ran off before I could."

John glanced down at Sammy and winked. "Get him, Sammy!" he yelled as he jumped off the couch. Dean turned and ran as John and Sammy both raced towards him. And with that move the pillow fight wars were on.

After John and Sammy's pillow fight victory, John sat on the bed between his two boys and read Sam's latest book "Aaron's Hair" to them. Snuggling against their father's sides the boys were asleep before the story was half finished. John set the book on the dresser next to the bed deciding to stay where he was for a while. Minutes later all three Winchesters were sound asleep.

AN- Aaron's Hair is another one of Robert Munsch's stories.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke. 

Previously on Supernatural- John set the book on the dresser next to the bed deciding to stay where he was for a while. Minutes later all three Winchesters were sound asleep.

The rest of the weekend was thankfully uneventful, and soon it was time for the family to head home. John and the boys loaded everything into the impala before climbing in themselves. They took one last look around and then drove to the ranger station. The Winchesters strolled into the station and walked over to Ranger Orr who was cleaning the information desk. "Ranger Orr" John called out. "Just came to say good bye and thanks for everything."

Ranger Orr shook John's hand. "No problem, John. I hope you guys will come back again soon. I'm going to miss watching these two run around the park." he said as he ruffled the boys' hair. "That reminds me, I have something for you, boys. Wait here for a minute. I'll be right back." he added as he disappeared into one of the back rooms. Ranger Orr came back out a few minutes later holding a box in his hands. "You did such a great job with those tasks in the wildlife books that you earned a special treat." Ranger Orr told the boys as he pulled shirts out of the box. "Congratulations, Dean and Sammy!" he said as he handed each boy a shirt and a fishing vest. 

"Awesome! Thanks Ranger Orr!" Dean exclaimed as he examined his prize. The gray T-shirt had a picture of an alligator in the middle with a badge at the top right. It said Magnolia Springs Junior Ranger in big letters across the bottom. The fishing vest had pockets on both sides to hold all his fishing gear and a ranger badge had been stitched above the pockets on the right. "Wait till the guys at school see this!"

Ranger Orr bent down in front of Sammy helping him put his new shirt on. "I've got one more thing for you." he told him as he handed Sam a picture.

"Cool! It's a picture of Fluffy! See, Dean?" Sammy hollered shoving the picture in Dean's face. After "showing" Dean the picture, Sam turned back to the ranger. "Thanks, Ranger Orr!" he yelled as he threw his arms around the ranger hugging him tightly.

"No problem, Sammy" Ranger Orr said. "Just remember to come back and see me again and promise to stay away from snakes. Okay?"

"Yes, sir" both boys answered. 

"C'mon boys" John called. "We have to get going. We have a long drive ahead of us." Taking his sons by the hand John led his family to the door pausing long enough for the boys to holler "Bye Ranger Orr" before he took them out of the building and back to the impala. Once everyone was safely in the car John backed up and drove out of the park. Turning toward town he was already missing the weekend. He'd had a wonderful time being "daddy John" instead of "hunter John" and was sad to see that time gone. _"We'll definitely be coming back"_ he thought as he drove down the road.

The next morning was a flurry of activity at the Winchester home. They had gotten home so late the night before that both boys had been fast asleep. John had carried them to bed deciding that they could take a bath in the morning. Now John was rushing around trying to get baths finished, boys dressed, and breakfast fixed. Finally after an hour of chaos the family sat down to eat breakfast. John grinned as he looked over at his boys. Both boys had on their brand new shirts and were carefully eating trying not to get anything on their clothes. He had never seen them eat so neatly. _"Hmm"_ John thought, _"Maybe I should get them new shirts before every meal" _Smirking at the thought he got up, put his plate in the sink for later, and went to get the first aid kit from the bathroom. "Come here for a minute, Sammy" John ordered as he sat back down at the table. "Let me fix your hand before we go to school."

"Okay, daddy" Sammy replied as he slowly walked around to John. "Do you have, too?" he asked as he placed his small hand in his daddy's.

"Yes, Sammy. We have to keep it clean so it'll get better." John explained. Seeing Sam's fearful expression he quickly added, "Don't worry, buddy. It won't hurt." Carefully taking the band aid off, John examined the bite marks that had caused so much trouble before smoothing more antibiotic cream on them and placing a Thunder Cats band aid on top. "There you go, Sammy. All done." he said as he picked Sam up and threw him into the air. "Go get your brother and tell him to come on." John instructed. "You don't want to be late for your field trip." 

"DEAN, DADDY SAID TO COME ON. WE HAVE TO GO!" Sammy screamed as he walked into the living room to get his book bag.

"_Geez, I could have done that."_ John thought. "Sammy, I told you to go get him not bust his ear drums." he called to his youngest.

Sammy stopped at the front door turning to stare at John. "Dean has drums, daddy? Why does he have drums and I don't" Sammy asked poking out his bottom lip and crossing his arms.

Swiping his hand across his face John sighed. "Not drums you play, Sammy. Ear drums are little parts inside your ear that help you hear."

"Oh" Sammy whispered cocking his head to one side as he tried to picture small drums inside his ears. "Daddy is there a little man in my ear who plays the ear drums?"

"A little man" John questioned? Realization dawning John shook his head laughing. The things Sammy came up with. "No, Sammy there's no little man playing the drums." John told his youngest. Seeing the look of confusion still on Sammy's face John said the only thing he could think of. "Why don't you ask Mrs. Sheppard about it when you get to school? I bet she could tell you all about ear drums." _"Sorry Mrs. Sheppard"_ he thought. 

"Okay, daddy" Sammy answered. Sam turned and ran up to Dean who had just walked into the room. "Guess what, Dean! Daddy said you have drums in your ears!" he exclaimed.

Smirking Dean stared up at his dad. "Is that right?" he asked.

"Don't encourage him, Dean." John warned as he trudged over and opened the front door. "C'mon guys load up and let's get going."

John was relieved when the school building came into sight. The boys had spent the entire drive talking about ear drums with Dean making up all kinds of outlandish stories about them. Pulling into a parking spot he ushered the boys out of the car and into the building. After sending Dean on his way John and Sammy made their way to Mrs. Sheppard's room. They had barely made it through the door when they heard "Mr. Winchester! Mr. Winchester!" and two little bodies plowed into John's legs almost knocking him over. John stared down into the smiling faces of Christian and Nolan. "Hey, guys. Ready for the field trip?" he asked.

"Yeah!" they both replied not letting go of John. "Are you going with us?"

"No boys" John answered as he pried the two off his legs. "I'm not going on this trip."

"Okay, bye" they said as they went back to building with the blocks.

John noticed Sammy standing with Mrs. Sheppard. Walking over he could hear their very one-sided conversation. ". . .And then we played on the playground. I played on the swings and the slide and the see saw and the merry go round and then daddy called us over to the fence and we watched an alligator swim up and eat some turtles and. . . ."

"Sammy, I think you've told Mrs. Sheppard enough about our weekend." John interrupted as he stepped up beside them. "Why don't you go play with Christian and Nolan for awhile and let Mrs. Sheppard get her work done?" Once Sam was gone John turned his attention to Mrs. Sheppard. "Sorry about that. He gets a little carried away sometimes."

"No problem, Mr. Winchester. I'm used to it." Mrs. Sheppard told him. "You sure you can't go with us? We're going to have a great time."

"No way! I mean, no I can't" John stammered looking up sharply when he heard Mrs. Sheppard laughing. "That obvious, huh?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. Don't worry. That's the reaction I get from most parents. It's totally normal." she told him. "Go enjoy your day and don't worry about us. We're going to be just fine, and I'm sure Sammy will tell you all about it when we get back."

"Oh sh- I mean crap! I hadn't thought about that." John said. "I guess I know what I'll be doing this evening." he added laughing. Walking over to the blocks he knelt down beside his "boys". "Sammy, Nolan, Christian you guys be good for Mrs. Sheppard and stay with her." he instructed. After hearing their "yes sirs" and getting hugs John stood back up and headed out. Pausing he turned around and called, "Have fun boys. And Sammy no Fluffies!"

"Okay, daddy" Sammy answered. "I don't like Fluffy anyway."

Catching Mrs. Sheppard's confused look John smirked. "Sammy'll fill you in. Bye Mrs. Sheppard. I'll think about you while I'm in my nice quiet house."

"See you later, Mr. Winchester. Enjoy the quiet while you can." Mrs. Sheppard called smiling. "Alright kids, let's clean up so we can get on the bus. Mrs. Perdue's class is waiting on us."

The bus ride to the zoo was filled with songs and laughter. By the time they arrived everyone knew the story about Sammy and his "pet" snake Fluffy. So many children were scared by the story that Mrs. Sheppard and Mrs. Perdue decided not to take their kids to see the snake house.

After a trip to the bathroom the two classes split up to explore the zoo. Mrs. Sheppard's class visited the elephants and giraffes before heading to the big cat section to see the lions and tigers. The children giggled as they watched the lion cubs wrestling with each other. When they got to the seals, they were thrilled to see a zookeeper with a bucket of fish. He allowed several children, including Sam, Christian, and Nolan, to throw fish to the seals while he told them all about the marine animals.

By lunchtime everyone was ready for a break. They met up with Mrs. Perdue's class at the picnic area. Joshua's dad and Britney's mom took the kids to the bathroom to wash hands while the teachers and the other parents went to get the food. By the time the kids got through in the bathroom the food was ready and waiting at the tables. Sammy and his friends dug into their hot dogs laughing and talking as they ate. They had had an awesome morning and there was still so much left to see. As they sat at the picnic area and ate no one was aware of the three sets of eyes intently watching them. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke. 

Previously on Supernatural- As they sat at the picnic area and ate no one was aware of the three sets of eyes intently watching them. 

Lunch over the group quickly picked up and threw away their trash before the classes went their separate ways once again. The first stop for Mrs. Sheppard's class was the monkey habitat. They watched the monkeys climb up trees, swing on ropes and branches, and play with each other. 

"Christian, Nolan look at those monkeys over there!" Sammy hollered pointing at two monkeys chasing each other all around the enclosure. "C'mon monkeys!" he added as he started to chase his two friends. Laughing the boys ran around the other children, benches, and trash cans as they copied the monkeys.

"That's enough, boys!" Mrs. Sheppard called out. "Stop running before you get hurt or hurt someone else." Seeing the boys stop she continued, "Alright kids let's go on to the next area; the bats."

"Yeah!" all the boys shouted as the girls yelled, "Bats, gross! We don't want to see any bats!"

Sensing a fight brewing Mrs. Sheppard stepped in to defuse the situation. "Quiet!" she commanded. "Anyone who wants to see the bats go with Mr. Smith. Everybody else come with me to see the exotic birds."

Sammy, Christian, and Nolan quickly fell in line behind Joshua's dad, Mr. Smith, as he led the way to the bat hut. Walking in the boys immediately headed to the windows and gazed out. At first they didn't see anything but ropes hanging across the enclosure with pieces of fruit, corn, and something else hanging from them. After a moment they realized that the things hanging from the ropes were some of the bats. One of the bats uncurled its wings, used the claw on each wing to grab the rope, and then hung from the rope by its feet and wings. They watched in awe as it used its claws and feet to crawl across the length of the rope to get to a piece of corn. It then proceeded to tear into the corn with its claws and teeth. It ate the corn in a matter of minutes spitting out the husk as it ate. "Cool!" the boys whispered.

"You think that's cool, check out what's on the table over there." a voice behind them said.

Turning around the boys came face to face with two older boys. Sammy, Christian, and Nolan exchanged looks before turning back to the big kids. Deciding they needed a spokesman for the group Nolan nudged Christian forward. Christian shot his friend an angry glare and then timidly stared up at the older boys and asked, "Who are you and what's over there?" 

"Name's Gordon Walker and this here's my friend Patrick Johnson. We were on a field trip with our class but they were boring so we set off on our own. Good thing we did too 'cause that box over there has the coolest thing in the whole zoo in it. It's a vampire bat skull! You wanna see it?"

"Yeah!" Sammy, Christian, and Nolan shouted. After checking to make sure Mr. Smith was still in the building, the boys followed Gordon and his friend over to the table in the corner. Looking into the red box they saw a small skull with two very big teeth.

"See its big fangs. I bet that bat could suck all your blood out in a few minutes with fangs that huge." Gordon said laughing as he saw the frightened look on the younger boys' faces. Winking at his friend Gordon continued. "I wonder if there are any vampire bats in the hut. Bet there is. You know there's not glass or anything in the windows. If they want to fly in here, they can. In fact I think I see one headed this way." he said pointing behind the boys. 

"Quick run before it bites you!" Patrick shouted as he jumped at the little boys. 

Sammy, Christian, and Nolan dashed over and hid behind Mr. Smith. Hearing laughter the boys peeked around Josh's dad to see the older boys doubled over with laughter. Fear was replaced by anger. Hands clenching into fists Sammy stepped toward the bullies to show them that they had messed with the wrong kids. He had barely taken two steps before a strong hand grabbed him. Looking up Sammy stared into the face of Mr. Smith. "Let it go, Sammy. They're not worth getting in trouble." Mr. Smith told him. Seeing Sammy scowl he added, "C'mon you don't want to have to sit on the bus the rest of the day, do you?"

Sammy sighed as he shook his head. He didn't want to get in trouble. He slowly followed Mr. Smith and the other kids out of the hut glancing back at the older boys once more time. _"I hope one of those vampire bats gets them." _he thought as he walked out the door. 

Mr. Smith led his group over to the exotic bird exhibit. There they found the rest of the class gathered around a tree attempting to get two parrots to talk. The group walked up to the tree and joined in for a few minutes before Mrs. Sheppard told the class it was time to move on. She herded them out of the exhibit and they all strolled up to the next building; the snake house. Remembering the uproar on the bus about Sammy's snake story Mrs. Sheppard decided to take the kids to see something else instead. Raising her hand to get the children's attention she announced, "Alright kids I know you don't want to go in the snake house so we're going to turn around and go see the polar bears."

"But Mrs. Sheppard I wanna see the snakes!" Joshua whined with several other boys adding their protests.

"Mrs. Sheppard, how about splitting up again?" Josh's dad offered. "I'll take the kids who want to go into the snake house with me and you can take the others to see the polar bears."

"Thanks, Mr. Smith" Mrs. Sheppard said with a smile. Turning back to the class she called, "You heard Mr. Smith. If you want to see the snakes, follow him. Everyone else come with me to see the polar bears." Mrs. Sheppard watched as several boys raced up to the snake house with Mr. Smith. Once they were safely inside she led her large group of boys and girls to the polar bear pools. The kids dashed over and leaned on the railing watching the polar bears as they played with a big ball. 

Sammy laughed as the polar bears batted the ball around the pool. Glancing over at his friends he started to feel guilty about them missing out on the snakes. "Thanks for staying with me guys." he told them. "I'm sorry you had to miss the snakes."

"I'm not" Nolan answered. "I hate snakes!"

"Me too" Christian piped up. " 'Sides polar bears are way cooler!" 

"You guys are the best!" Sammy hollered as the boys turned back to watch the bears once more.

A few minutes later Christian left his friends and walked toward Mrs. Sheppard. Sammy and Nolan followed wondering what was going on. They made it just in time to hear Christian tell Mrs. Sheppard the problem. "Mrs. Sheppard, I have to go potty." he loudly whispered.

Looking around Mrs. Sheppard noticed there were bathrooms just across from the polar bear pool. Not wanting to send a child in the restroom by himself and not having a dad to take the little boy she offered a simple solution. "Okay Christian, but you can't go by yourself. So I'll take you in the ladies bathroom with me."

"No way! I'm not going in the girls potty!" Christian yelled. 

Sammy quickly came to his friend's aid. "Mrs. Sheppard, we'll go to the bathroom with him. Then he won't be alone. And we promise to go and come right back, okay?"

Mrs. Sheppard thought about the offer. She didn't really want to let the boys go alone but Josh's dad was the only man with them and he was at the snake house. The bathroom wasn't far away and the door was right in her line of sight. And Sammy, Nolan, and Christian were three good little boys. She could trust them to go and come back without causing any trouble. Seeing Christian holding himself and hopping up and down made her mind up for her. "Okay guys you can go. But stay together and come right back as soon as you're done."

"Okay Mrs. Sheppard" the boys responded before racing to the bathroom disappearing behind the door. 

Finally getting an opening the three men headed around the other side of the bathroom and slipped in the back door of the restrooms. Seeing the boys at the sinks the men trudged over to stand behind the boys smiling at them in the mirror above the sink.

"Hey, Nolan" One of the men said. "My name's Mark and these are my friends Jade and Michael. There was an accident at home and your father sent us to pick you up."

"Oh, yeah then what's the password?" Nolan challenged as he stared the men in the face.

"Your dad didn't give us a password, squirt" Mark told them. "He was too upset 'cause your mom got hurt. He just told us to pick you up and bring you to him at the hospital."

Seeing his friend beginning to get scared Sammy spoke up. "I don't believe you. Nolan's daddy wouldn't send strangers to pick him up. He always sends people we know. And they always know the password."

Jade pulled Mark aside. "We don't have time for this. That teacher will be checking on them soon. Let's just take the kid and go." Getting an affirmative nod Jade walked over and grabbed Nolan. He held on to the boy as Nolan squirmed and wiggled trying to escape.

"Let him go!" Sammy shouted as he ran up and kicked Jade as hard as he could.

Jade dropped Nolan holding his knee and cursing. The three boys made a dash for the door but found it blocked by Mark. Turning they headed in the direction of the other door only to come face to face with Michael. The men quickly herded the boys into the corner of the bathroom. Once there the boys held onto each other screaming for help. Marching over Michael smirked at the frightened children. "Shut up, you brats!" he shouted as he pulled a knife out. "Now listen and listen good. We're taking Nolan with us. You other two boys stay right here in the bathroom and count to 100. Then you can leave."

The boys grew silent as they stared at the knife in the man's hand. All three trembled as he approached them. Screwing up his courage Sammy stepped in front of his friends. "You can't have Nolan. He's my friend. If you take him, you have to take me too and my daddy won't like that."

"Oh, really" Jade said as he came up. "Didn't your daddy teach you any manners, kids? Let me show you what happens to kids who kick grown-ups." 

Michael grabbed Jade by the arm to prevent him from reaching Sammy. "Leave him alone, Jade. The boss said not to hurt anyone. Mark, we're not gonna be able to take the kid without hurting the others so let's just take all of them. Maybe we can get a bigger ransom that way."

Nodding his head Mark stared down at the scared little boys. "Listen up, kiddies. You're going with us for awhile. We're going to pick you up and carry you out of the zoo and you're not going to make a sound, got it?" he questioned as he motioned to Michael.

Michael quickly snatched Sammy up and held the knife against his side. "You boys behave or your friend here's gonna have a big hole in his body." he told them. "Understand?"

Slowly nodding their heads Christian and Nolan allowed the other men to pick them up. The men headed out the back door and within minutes had left the park with their prize.

Mrs. Sheppard was getting worried. The boys had been in the bathroom for quite a while now. After asking several parents to watch the children, she rushed over to the bathrooms. Walking in her worst fear was realized. The boys were gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- Mrs. Sheppard was getting worried. The boys had been in the bathroom for quite a while now. After asking several parents to watch the children, she rushed over to the bathrooms. Walking in her worst fear was realized. The boys were gone.

The zoo was a flurry of activity. Zookeepers had immediately blocked off the exits and thoroughly searched the entire park for the three missing boys. When the search yielded no results, the police were summoned to the scene. The police had taken control of the situation as soon as they arrived. Some of the cops questioned Mrs. Sheppard, the children, and anyone else in the area at the time of the disappearance while others conducted another sweep of the zoo looking for the missing children. The search once again turned up nothing but the policeman questioning Mr. Smith got what he thought was a lead. Using his walkie-talkie he filled the lead investigator in on the confrontation in the bat hut between the missing boys and two older boys. The description of the two older boys was broadcast on the police radios and within minutes the two boys were spotted and hauled into the makeshift headquarters the police had set up at the entrance to the zoo. After questioning the boys, the cops concluded that while they may be bullies, they definitely had nothing to do with the disappearance of the small boys. Letting the boys go the investigation was back to square one.

Mrs. Sheppard, Mrs. Perdue, Mr. Smith, and the other parents were doing their best to keep the children and themselves calm. Their hopes that the boys had just wandered off had been dashed when no trace of the children had been found during two thorough searches. Hoping for the best but fearing the worst Mrs. Sheppard had called the school and let Mr. Bonner know what was going on so he could call the parents before they heard it on the news. Now all they could do was wait and try to keep the other children occupied.

John had spent his quiet child-free day researching a hunt in a nearby town with his good friend Bobby Singer. John had searched old newspapers in the town library for any information on a spirit haunting a secluded stretch of highway while Bobby had questioned people around town. They met back at the house around one to compare notes and decide what to do from there. Glancing at the clock John realized it was almost time to go pick up Dean. He grabbed his keys from the table and was headed out the door when the phone rang. Changing directions he trudged to the phone and answered.

Bobby watched as his friend's face changed from calm to rage to terror in a matter of moments. From John's half of the conversation Bobby knew something had happened to one of the boys and whatever had gone down was bad. Hearing John end the phone call by slamming the phone down and seeing his old friend slump down on the edge of the bed head in hands freaked Bobby out. He walked over and placed his hand on John's shoulder. "What's wrong, Johnny? Something happen to the boys?" he whispered.

John slowly raised his head and stared at his friend. _"So that's where the boys got that kicked puppy look from" _Bobby thought as he looked in John's eyes. After a minute John finally said the two words Bobby had hoped never to hear again; "Sammy's missing."

"What?" Bobby asked.

"Sammy's missing. He went to the bathroom with his two friends and no one's seen them since." John informed him. "They locked the zoo down and searched the whole place but the boys aren't there."

"_Can't they ever get a break?"_ Bobby thought as he watched John attempting to pull himself together. "Don't worry, Johnny. We'll find him. We always do. The little runt's never been very good at hide and seek." he said smiling at the memory of a smaller Sammy hiding his face behind his hands thinking that if he couldn't see them, they couldn't see him.

John stood up, squared his shoulders, and stared at Bobby his expression the total opposite of earlier. The scared father look was gone replaced by the face of a hunter determined to get his prey. "Let's go, Bobby. We need to get Dean and head to the zoo. We both know the police couldn't find a clue if they tripped over it." John ordered as he marched to the door. Both men jumped into the impala, and it roared to life speeding toward the school and Dean.

Dean leisurely strolled to the principal's office. He was in no hurry to get there. He tried to figure out why Mr. Bonner had called him to the office in the first place. He hadn't played any pranks lately. That stink bomb in the girls' bathroom hadn't been his doing. Okay he had done it but there was no way anyone could prove it. Reaching for the door knob he took a deep breath and opened the door hoping he wasn't in too deep.

Sammy, Nolan, and Christian sat trembling in the back of the van. The two men up front were quietly talking and the other man sat with his back to the passenger's seat watching the three boys and twirling his knife. Sammy stared out the side window of the van trying to memorize the different signs and buildings that flew by. But they had been riding for an hour now and there was just too much to remember. Sighing he looked at his friends and was about to say something when the van suddenly came to a halt.

Michael stood up and walked over to kneel down in front of his prisoners. "Alright, kiddies we're home. Now we're going to walk into the building and up the stairs the same way we left the zoo. You don't speak or holler or try to get anyone's attention or your friend here gets hurt." he informed them as he pulled Sammy into his arms again. Michael led the way to the van's side door that was already standing open. He stepped out with Sammy held tightly to his side as the others grabbed Nolan and Christian. None of the boys made a sound as they were carried into the building and up four flights of stairs to apartment 4D. Jade quickly unlocked the door and stomped inside followed by the others. Walking to the back bedroom the men threw the three little boys on the bed. "Now listen up." Michael commanded. "You three are going to stay in here and not make any noise. Got it?"

"Don't worry guys. We're not going to hurt you as long as you behave." Mark added seeing the kids' frightened faces.

"Don't coddle them" Jade spat out. "The little brats aren't worth it. They're just a bunch of crybabies. Their parents ought to thank us for taking them. Come to think of it their folks probably don't even want them back." He added laughing as Christian started crying.

Seeing his friend cry was the last straw for Sammy. They had no right saying all those mean things. Determined to set things straight Sammy slid off the bed and approached Jade little hands balled into fists. "Don't you say that! Our parents do too love us and they're gonna find us!" he shouted at the kidnappers. "And when my daddy gets here, you'll be sorry! 'Cause he's gonna kick your butt till Hell won't have it again!" He punctuated his threat by stomping on Jade's foot and kicking him in the knee once again. The next moment was like a blur to Sam. He suddenly found himself on the floor and the left side of his face felt like it was on fire. Tears stung his cheek as they made their way down his face. He looked up as he heard Jade's voice.

"Consider that payback, kid" Jade laughed leaning down to grab Sam again. As he reached down to touch the little boy he was tackled when Nolan and Christian came to Sammy's rescue. Yelling, "Leave Sammy alone!" they knocked into the man and started hitting every part of him they could reach. They managed to get in a few good punches before Mark and Michael snatched them both up and threw them back on the bed along with Sammy. Mark and Michael then drug an extremely angry Jade out of the room kicking and screaming about taking care of the brats for good.

The boys heard the click as the men locked the door behind them. Breathing out a sigh of relief Nolan and Christian turned to look at Sammy. They could see a huge red handprint on Sammy's cheek and a small cut right below his eye. "Are you okay, Sammy?" Nolan asked.

Sammy glanced at the closed door before looking back at his friends. "Yeah, I'm alright." he finally whispered. "What about you guys?"

"We're okay." Nolan responded looking down at his hands. "I'm sorry, guys. This is all my fault."

"No its not" Christian countered as he wrapped his arm around his friends' shoulder. "It's their fault not yours" he said pointing to the door.

"Yeah, Nolan he's right" Sammy announced. "Don't worry about it. We'll get out of here. We just have to figure out a way to let our dads know where we are. You guys got any ideas?"

The three boys put their heads together and sat thinking of ways to get out of their current predicament.

By the time the Winchesters and Bobby made it to the zoo John was incensed. He had trusted Mrs. Sheppard to take care of his son and she had lost him. He was going to have a long talk with her about responsibility once he found her. After identifying himself to the police at the parking lot, John and company were escorted to the makeshift headquarters to be questioned. Once the questioning was finished John gave a photo of Sammy to the police and asked where he could find Mrs. Sheppard and the others. Heading toward the picnic tables John's anger grew at the person he blamed for losing his baby boy.

Mrs. Sheppard was talking with Nolan's dad Ray when she saw the Winchesters approaching. She unconsciously took a step back as she noticed the look on John's face. He was beyond angry. He was pissed. Steeling herself she waited for the fallout grateful that Nolan's dad and Mr. Smith were beside her.

Striding up to Mrs. Sheppard it took everything John had not to grab her by the neck. Sammy's classmates staring at him was the only thing that stayed his hands. John ran his hands through his hair in an attempt to calm himself down a little. It didn't work. Putting his hands in his pockets so he wouldn't be tempted to use them, John finally found his voice. "What the hell happened Mrs. Sheppard?" he growled out.

Mrs. Sheppard released the breath she'd been holding. She quickly composed herself before answering, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Winchester. Like I was telling Mr. Sims the boys just went to the bathroom across from the polar bear pool. I could see the bathroom door from the pool so I thought they'd be okay. I didn't know there was another door on the other side."

Sensing that John was about to lose it Bobby decided to take over. "Why didn't you send someone with them or go yourself?" he inquired.

Mrs. Sheppard glanced at John for a moment before turning to Bobby. "We had split the class into two groups because some of the children wanted to see the snakes and some didn't. The boys refused to go into the woman's bathroom with me. I only had one father on the trip and he was at the snake hut with the other half of the group. I didn't have any other choice. Those three are such good boys that I didn't think there would be a problem. I'm so sorry John. I should have insisted the boys go with me." she explained.

John's breath caught as he heard Mrs. Sheppard speak. "I only had one father on the trip and he was at the snake hut with the other half of the group." _"Oh God this was my fault. If I had just gone on the trip with them, Sammy would be here right now."_ John thought. Mentally kicking his own behind for choosing himself over one of his boys, John decided he was the one who needed to apologize. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Sheppard. I should have gone with you." he rushed out.

Ray Sims had been standing by listening to his friends blame themselves for this utter fiasco and he'd had enough. "John this isn't your fault and it isn't yours either, Mrs. Sheppard" he broke in. "The only people to blame are the ones that took our boys. Now let's concentrate on finding our boys instead of playing the blame game."

"He's right Johnny. We're not going to find Sammy standing here blaming ourselves and thinking about what we could have done." Bobby added. "Anybody got any ideas about who might have taken the boys."

As he finished speaking a very distraught man came running up to them. Christian's dad, Mr. Mathews, skidded to a stop in front of Mrs. Sheppard. "What happened to the boys and where were you?" he breathed out.

Dean quickly piped up not wanting to hear another round of who's to blame. "The boys went to the bathroom and someone took them out the back. There's wasn't a daddy to go in with them. It's nobody's fault and we're trying to figure out who might have taken them. There you're up to speed. Now let's figure this out and get the boys back." "What?" he asked seeing the amused looks the grownups were giving him. "He wanted to know so I told him."

A cell phone ringing stopped their discussion before it could begin. Frustrated Nolan's dad yanked up the phone and threw it open. Noticing that there was a text message from an unknown address, he almost erased it. John stopped him midstream. Opening it instead, he was greeted with a message from the kidnappers declaring that they wanted 3 million or the boys would be killed. Stating not to go to the police and that further instructions would be forthcoming, the message ended with a picture file. With shaking hands Ray opened the file revealing a picture of the three boys holding a copy of today's paper. Ray passed the phone to John. He'd seen enough.

John, Bobby, and Dean stared at the photo of Sammy and his friends. They saw red as they noticed the handprint and cut on Sam's face. John was clutching the phone so tightly that Bobby was afraid he'd break it. Bobby took the phone from John and handed it to Dean. "We'll get'em, Johnny. And when we do they'll regret laying a hand on Sammy. I guarantee that." he whispered.

Dean stared at the picture attempting to get past the handprint on his little brother's face. Searching the picture he looked for anything that could give them a clue about where the boys were or who had them. He was scanning the photo for the third time when something caught his eye. He couldn't believe it!

All eyes turned to stare at Dean as he began laughing and shouting "Way to go, guys!"


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Sorry its so short, guys. It's been a long day.

Previously on Supernatural- All eyes turned to stare at Dean as he began laughing and shouting "Way to go, guys!"

The grownups stood staring as Dean continued to laugh and cheer. "Ah, John maybe you should take Dean home. I think this situation is too much for him. He's losing it." Ray blurted out as he turned to John.

"Dean's fine." John mumbled to the others as he crouched down in front of his son. "What is it, Dean? Did you find something?" he questioned.

Dean handed the phone to his dad. "Those kidnappers don't know who they're dealing with. Sammy and his friends are way too smart for that goof troop." he crowed. Seeing the confusion on his father's face, Dean added, "Look at their hands, dad."

John scrutinized the photo carefully. He took in every aspect of the picture and he still saw nothing to get excited about. _"Maybe Ray's right"_ he thought. "I'm not seeing anything, kiddo. What about their hands?" he asked as the others came up beside him.

"Oh my God" Mrs. Sheppard gasped, "I don't believe it! They remembered Hannah."

Five extremely confused sets of eyes turned to Mrs. Sheppard. "Hannah. What's that?" the men asked.

"Hannah's not a what, she's a who." Dean told them. Seeing his dad about to interrupt, Dean added, "And no dad, I don't mean one of the Grinch's pals. Hannah was one of the girls in Sammy's class. He used to talk about her all the time. She left a few weeks ago but not before she taught him a new way to speak."

"Dean, what the hell are you talking about? We don't have time for riddles." Bobby growled out.

"It's simple, Mr. Singer. Hannah was deaf. The other children were learning the sign language alphabet and different signs so they could communicate with her." Mrs. Sheppard explained.

"That's all well and good but what does that have to do with the picture and getting our boys back?" Ray asked.

"Oh for Pete's sake! Would you look at the damn picture already?" Dean shouted throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Never mind I'll show you myself. It'll be faster." Pointing to boys' hands he started to explain. "See Christian's making a letter "O", Sammy's making a letter "A", and Nolan's making a "K". "O-A-K, they're on Oak Street, dad. Now let's go get them before something else happens to Sammy."

"Great job, Dean" John praised. "Well what are you guys waiting for? Let's figure out a way to get past the police and rescue our boys."

"Shouldn't we show the photo to the police and let them handle it?" Mr. Gary Mathews inquired. "I mean, after all they're the experts, right?"

"Experts, right. Just look at the stellar job they did of finding Sammy last time." Bobby growled out. "Those guys couldn't find their butt with both hands."

"He's right." Ray broke in. "It's our boys out there. We should be the ones looking for them."

As the group started planning their next move, a lone figure quietly made its way to a deserted corner and pulled out a cell phone.

Nolan and Christian sat on the bed watching Sammy as he carefully checked out the room. "Whatcha doing, Sammy?" Christian whispered.

"I'm looking for a way out. We can't stay here." Sammy answered as he checked one of the windows. "I think we can get out this window."

"But we're on the fourth floor. How are we gonna get down?" Nolan whined.

"We'll walk down the fire escape silly." Sammy said rolling his eyes at his friend. "Bring me that chair, guys."

Nolan and Christian hopped off the bed and quietly pushed the chair over to the window sill. Climbing on the chair Sammy proceeded to unlock the window, open it, unlatch the screen, and pop it out.

"Wow! Where'd you learn to do that?" Christian asked.

"Dean. We sneak out of Uncle Bobby's house at night all the time to play. He hasn't caught us yet." Sammy told them as he crawled out of the window. "C'mon guys let's go before those goons come back."

Nolan and Christian quickly climbed out and all three boys carefully started to make their way down the fire escape forgetting all about the open window.

After much discussion and debate, it was decided that John, Bobby, Dean, and Ray would go look for the boys on Oak Street while the others stayed. Just as they started to separate the lead investigator came up to the group. "Gentlemen, I know you're all worried about your missing boys but I want to assure you that we're doing everything we can to find them. You should go home and wait. There's nothing more you can do here. We'll let you know the minute we hear anything. Alright?" the officer asked.

The group put up several half-hearted protests to throw the police off before heading toward the zoo entrance. Once at their cars they broke into two teams. Ray and Gary would search the north end of Oak Street while John, Bobby, and Dean took the south end. Promising to call with any leads both groups headed out determined to find their sons and bring them home.

Mark slammed the door of the bedroom open as he dashed inside. "New plan b. . ." he started stopping as his eyes took in the empty room. "Shit! Michael, Jade get in here! The little brats are gone!" he yelled out the door. It didn't take long for Mark to notice the open window leading to the fire escape. Looking down he could see the tops of the boys' heads two floors down. Quickly climbing out the window he yelled back to the others as they came through the door. "They're on the fire escape! Go out and cut them off!"

Hearing a shout the boys looked up gasping as they saw one of their kidnappers climbing out the window. Doubling their speed the boys raced down the stairs as fast as their little legs could go. Clearing the last set of steps, the boys paused for a moment to look at the ladder down. It didn't go all the way to the ground; only halfway. They'd have to jump for it. "I'll go first." Sammy volunteered. He slowly descended the ladder stopping on the last rung. Taking a deep breath Sammy jumped down hitting the ground hard.

_Meanwhile in another part of town _

She was just about to shut off the television and walk out the door when the news about a kidnapping at the zoo came on. _"Those poor people"_ she thought as she grabbed the remote. Her finger froze over the power button when the photos of the three missing boys flashed on the screen. Her hand went up to her mouth as she gazed at one of the little boy's features; his mop of brown hair, wide eyes, and dimpled smile. _"Could it be? After all these years, have I finally found him?" _she thought. Turning up the sound she quickly wrote down all the information before dashing out the door her errands forgotten.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- _"Could it be? After all these years, have I finally found him?" _she thought. Turning up the sound she quickly wrote down all the information before dashing out the door her errands forgotten.

Seeing their friend hit the ground and hearing his yelp of pain frightened Nolan and Christian. They could see Sam sitting on the ground clutching his leg. "Sammy, are you okay?" Nolan called out as he stared down at his friend.

Sammy sat holding his ankle trying hard not to cry. He had been so worried about Mark catching them that he had forgotten to tuck and roll like Dean had taught him. Now his ankle felt like it was on fire. He knew he had sprained it. His ankle felt the same as it did last summer when he jumped out of the hay loft at Pastor Jim's house. But that time he'd had Dean there with him. _"Wish Dean was here now." _he thought as he struggled to pull himself together._ "No crying! Gotta be brave like Dean and save Nolan and Christian" _he told himself brushing the tears from his eyes. Sammy's head snapped up when he heard Nolan holler at him. His eyes widened as he noticed that Mark was quickly making his way down the fire escape. Using his arms he pushed himself up and carefully stepped backwards wincing as his ankle throbbed and threatened to collapse. "I'm fine, guys! Hurry up and jump! He's coming!" Sammy yelled to his friends pointing at Mark.

Nolan quickly headed down the ladder at Sam's urging. Making it to the end, he leapt off the last rung and landed safe and sound right beside Sammy. Moving over he waved for Christian to follow.

Mark flew down the stairs towards his prey. He couldn't lose them now. He doubled his speed when he saw the first two little boys jump. The last child seemed to be reluctant to make the leap. If he could grab him before he jumped, he'd be able to force the others to come back. Making it to the bottom platform, Mark dropped to his stomach and reached down to snatch the remaining boy and foil the escape attempt.

Christian slowly climbed down the ladder. He didn't know what terrified him more; being this high off the ground or being chased by a crazy man. Getting to the last rung of the ladder, he risked a glance up and saw Mark leaning over to grab him. Panicking Christian jumped off the ladder his shirt ripping as Mark grabbed it. Christian landed next to his friends and all three boys took off down the alley to freedom.

John parked the impala in the parking lot of a rundown diner. Oak Street turned out to be a long stretch of road on the bad side of town. A series of empty dilapidated buildings, warehouses, and cheap motels and apartments littered both sides of the street. This was going to be as easy as finding a needle in a haystack. After a moment's discussion, John and Bobby decided to split up with each one taking one side of the street. John and Dean walked up to the first building on their side; a cheap motel. Groaning as he saw the kind of clientele the motel had coming and going, John wished Dean wasn't along for the ride. This was no place for a child. John put his hand on Dean's shoulder as he bent down next to him. "Listen up, Dean. I want you to stay glued to my side, keep your eyes in front, and don't talk to anyone. Got it?" he asked. At Dean's nod, John straightened and they proceeded into the building. Moments later a very red-faced John stomped out hands firmly over Dean's eyes. John released Dean as soon as they stepped away from the motel.

Curious about why his dad was acting so funny, Dean stared up at him and asked the first question that popped into his head. "Dad, what were those people doing?"

John scrubbed his hand through his beard when he heard the question. He'd been hoping that he had covered Dean's eyes before he'd seen anything. Evidently he hadn't been quite fast enough. After the day's events John was overloaded and not at his best and that's probably why he looked at Dean and said, "They were just playing a game, kiddo."

"Really? Can you teach me and Sammy to play?" Dean asked.

"What?" John blurted out as he stared open-mouthed at his eldest. Quickly regaining his composure John attempted to end this conversation. "No, Dean. That's something only grown-ups can do, okay?" he offered hoping his son would give up.

"Okay, dad" Dean mumbled looking like a child who'd just been told that Christmas was canceled. As they started walking again, Dean suddenly brightened and called out, "Hey, dad. How about when I'm grown? Can I learn then?"

"Crap! Should have seen that coming." John thought. Putting on his best scowl, John glared at his son. "Dean, never mention what you saw in that motel again." he ordered. "Understand?"

"Yes sir" Dean whispered out as he looked down at his shoes.

"C'mon, Dean" John said as he gently placed his arm around his son's shoulders. "Let's go find that brother of yours."

Bobby sighed as he trudged out of the latest building. So far he'd checked out an abandoned gas station, a condemned warehouse, and an apartment building. None had held any trace of the missing little boys. As he walked past the side of the apartments, a slight noise had him stopping to glance up. A few floors up he saw a curtain fluttering through an open window. Bobby smiled as the sight brought back the memory of the last time the boys had stayed with him. They'd snuck out the window every night to play thinking their "uncle" was asleep. _"If they only knew" _Bobby thought as he headed into his next search area; a closed convenience store.

Sammy, Nolan, and Christian huddled together behind some old barrels. They watched silently as Mark and his buddies dashed by before splitting up to cover both sides of the street. The boys breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the goons were out of view. Slowly standing up, Sammy immediately took charge of the situation. "We need to get inside somewhere and hide until our dads get here." he declared.

"Can't we just go in that place over there and ask for help?" Christian whined.

"No way" Sammy told him as he eyed the rundown motel Christian had pointed to. "They might know the bad guys and call them. We've gotta hide and wait. Our dads will be here soon."

"What if they didn't see our message? What if they're not coming?" Nolan asked quietly.

"Don't worry, Nolan. Dean will see the message and tell them. You can't fool him! He's the best big brother ever!" Sammy bragged patting his friend's shoulder. "Now c'mon. I see a hole in that wall over there. We can crawl through and hide out there."

After taking a quick glance around, the three friends carefully walked over to the back of the old store and one by one crawled into the building to hide.

The police were at a loss. The zoo had been thoroughly searched, and any potential witnesses had been questioned but there were no leads on the missing children. Deciding to pack it up and start over at the station, the lead investigator called it in. As they were clearing up their notes and papers, a very anxious woman appeared at the door of their temporary headquarters. Officer Pulliam studied the woman as he walked over to her. "May I help you, ma'am?" he politely asked.

"Are you in charge of the kidnapping?" Mrs. Pool asked the officer.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Officer Pulliam." he told her as he shook her hand. "Do you know something about the missing boys?"

"I most certainly do." Mrs. Pool replied as she opened her purse and rooted around inside. Pulling out an old photo, she handed it to the officer. "One of the missing boys is my son. He was kidnapped when he was three. His name is Joey Pool, not Sammy Winchester. I want my son back and I want the man who stole him from me in jail." she demanded.

Officer Pulliam stared at the photo and groaned. This case had just gotten more complicated.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- Officer Pulliam stared at the photo and groaned. This case had just gotten more complicated.

Sammy, Nolan, and Christian peered around the room. They were in the backroom of some type of store. Shelving units lined the walls filled with boxes and bottles of all shapes and sizes. Crates covered the floor along the far wall. Making their way over to the side shelves, the boys found a hiding spot between several huge boxes. Plopping down the boys groaned. They were tired from running and hiding. Just as they settled into their new hideout, a loud growling noise got their attention. "I'm hungry" Christian whined holding his still rumbling tummy. "Do you guys have anything to eat?"

Sammy and Nolan both shook their heads as their stomachs joined in the grumbling. Sammy glanced around the room searching for anything that even remotely looked edible before standing. "I'm gonna go into the front of the store and find something to eat. You guys stay here. If you hear or see anything, whistle." Sammy instructed as he headed for the storeroom door. Reaching the door, he looked back at his friends and then disappeared through the door.

John and Dean carefully climbed the stairs of the old warehouse hoping to find some sign of the missing boys. So far their search had yielded nothing but they weren't giving up yet. The boys were somewhere on this street, and the older Winchesters were determined to find them. Reaching the top of the stairs, they started down a long hallway stopping at the first door on the right. The door swung open, and John found himself face to face with a very nervous young man. The man eyed the Winchesters curiously. "What do you think you're doing here?" he demanded.

Seeing his father hesitate, Dean quickly spoke up. "Sorry mister. My cat ran off, and I thought I saw it run in here." he lied. "Did you see it?"

The man stared down at Dean suspiciously for a moment before turning his gaze to John. "I haven't seen any cat. Now get out of here before I call the cops." he sneered.

"No need to do that. We're leaving. Sorry for bothering you." John apologized as he and Dean headed back to the staircase.

The man watched the two go down the stairs and out the door before snatching his phone. Scrolling down to the right name, he hit send and waited for an answer. "Yeah, it's me. We've got a problem. The dads are here looking for the kids. Meet me at base. We need a new plan." he whispered into the phone.

John and Dean walked outside and quickly stepped over to the side of the building where they stood waiting. Motioning for Dean to be quiet, John leaned over and whispered, "We're gonna wait and follow that dude. I think he's got something to do with the boys going missing. I want you to stay quiet and follow my lead."

Sammy was in heaven! In front of him was row upon row of shelves bursting with every kind of junk food imaginable. Staring around he didn't know what to grab first. He snatched a basket from a pile next to the door and dashed around the store throwing chips, candy bars, doughnuts, and sodas into it. Deciding to save the ice cream for later, Sammy took his now full basket and headed back to his friends for a junk food feast.

John and Dean observed the man exit the building and race quickly down the street. Following at a discreet distance they copied his movements as they stayed out of his line of sight. They watched as he met up with two other men at an apartment building on the other side of the street. The three men had a very heated argument and then trudged into the building. John and Dean waited several minutes then crossed the street and walked into the building.

Sammy, Nolan, and Christian sat back against the shelving unit. After eating their fill of assorted junk, they were too stuffed to move. Satisfied the little boys were just getting comfortable when they heard the bell on the front door ring. Hearing footsteps, the boys scrambled to hide their loot and themselves before they were caught. They pushed the basket behind some boxes and then crawled under one of the shelving units. Hearts beating furiously they listened as the footsteps grew louder. The door to the room creaked open and someone entered the room. The boys threw their hands over their mouths to keep from screaming and giving themselves away. They could only watch as a pair of booted feet walked right in front of their hiding spot. They heard the person walking around the room moving boxes and crates. After several tense minutes, the door finally opened again followed by the ring of the front bell. The boys breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe once again.

Bobby shuffled out of the convenience store. He could have sworn he'd heard someone in the storeroom. In fact it had sounded like several people were in the back. But he'd examined every inch of that room and found nothing besides some discarded chip and candy wrappers. Disappointed he was heading for the next building on his list when his phone vibrated. Hopeful that John had found the boys, Bobby quickly answered the phone. "Did you find them? Oh. Okay, I'm on my way. Don't do anything stupid till I get there. I mean it, Johnny! Wait for me." Snapping the phone shut, Bobby sprinted down the sidewalk to help his family.

Officer Pulliam was definitely having one of those days. First they had no leads on the kidnapped boys, and then a woman came insisting that the Winchester kid was her son who had been kidnapped from her, and now the fathers of the missing boys couldn't be found. He'd sent for John Winchester as soon as he reached the station but his officers had come back stating that no one was home. Thinking maybe the fathers were together, he'd had cars go to the other houses as well. But it appeared they had all disappeared. Now he had two missing persons' cases going no where fast and an irate woman who was yelling for them to get off their butts and go find her son. Some days it just didn't pay to get out of bed.

Sammy, Nolan, and Christian tiptoed over to the hole in the wall. Afraid that the kidnappers would come back and find them, the boys had decided they needed to find another place to hide. After leaving Dean a clue and stuffing their pockets with supplies, the boys started out. Sammy slowly crawled through the hole in the wall. As he cleared the hole, he was snatched up by his shirt collar! Looking up, Sammy was shocked as he stared into a familiar face.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- As he cleared the hole, he was snatched up by his shirt collar! Looking up, Sammy was shocked as he stared into a familiar face.

"Mr. Smith, what are you doing here?" Sammy asked breathlessly.

Setting Sammy down beside his friends, Mr. Smith replied, "I've been looking for you three. Your big brother saw your clue in the picture and your dads all came here to find you. After all the kids left the zoo, I came to help in the search but I haven't been able to find your dads. Are you guys okay? How did you get away from the kidnappers?"

"We climbed out the window and ran down the fire escape and then we had to jump to the ground." Nolan quickly explained.

"Yeah, and Sammy hurt his leg when he fell" Christian added.

Mr. Smith carefully looked over all the boys taking in the cut on Sam's cheek and the way he was favoring his left ankle. Reaching down he scooped Sammy up and turned to the other boys. "C'mon, we can't stay out here in the open. Let's find a place to hide and I'll call your dads to come get you. Stay quiet and follow me." he ordered. After glancing both ways, Mr. Smith led the boys out of the alley and down to an abandoned warehouse. Once inside he took the boys to a small room upstairs and blocked the door. Setting Sammy down on the desk, he examined the little boy's ankle. He breathed a sign of relief as he realized it was only sprained and not broken. Walking over toward the door, he pulled out his cell phone and hurriedly punched in a number. "Hello. This is Mr. Smith from the zoo. Yes, sir. I've found your boys. We're hiding in the abandoned warehouse next to the old Shell station. Yeah, they're fine. Go upstairs and we're in the first room on the right. See you in a few." Closing the phone he walked back over to the boys. "Your dads are on their way." he assured them.

Bobby made it to the motel in record time. Racing up all four flights of stairs, he came up behind John as he prepared to kick the door of one of the rooms in. Thinking quickly he grabbed his friend's arm and yanked him back before he could do any damage. "Dammit John I told you to wait for me!" he growled. "Stop and take a breath before you screw things up any worse. If those guys have the boys, and we break in there's no telling what they'll do. We need a way to see what's going on so we can make a plan and breaking the door down ain't gonna do that."

John ran his hand through his hair. He knew Bobby was right but that didn't make it easy to stand there and do nothing. Those men had kidnapped and hurt his baby boy and all he could think about was tearing them limb from limb. Taking a deep breath, he resigned himself to waiting. "Alright, Bobby. What do we need to do?" he whispered.

Bobby thought for a minute before speaking. "There's a fire escape on the side of the building. You two stay here and watch the door. I'll go around and climb up to their window. Maybe I can see and hear what's going on." Bobby told them. "If they head out, ring my cell and we'll meet at the front door."

"Got it" John said. Watching his friend disappear down the stairs, John prayed they were doing the right thing.

Jade was outraged. Not only had the little brats managed to escape, but now they had the dads to worry about. Their perfect little plan had gone to hell in a hand basket, and he didn't know what to do to fix it. Pacing across the living room, he was attempting to come up with a solution when his cell phone rang. Snatching it out of his pocket, he threw it opened and answered, "What? Oh, sorry boss. Where? All of them? Huh? Got it!" He stuffed his phone back in his pocket as he headed to the door. "C'mon. The boss knows where the brats are. Let's go." he barked at the others. All three men headed out the door and down the stairs never noticing the two shadows that followed them.

John was about ready to chuck the plan and bust down the door when it suddenly opened and three men hurried out. Staying in the background until the men were out of sight, John flipped open his phone and called Bobby. "They're on the move. Meet you out front." He said before closing the phone. John and Dean made their way down the stairs and to the front door careful not to be seen by the men they were following.

Mr. Smith gazed over at the sleeping little boys and smiled. They were such sweet little boys. He hated that Sammy had been hurt in this mess. He just hoped the others would be here soon so they could get this fiasco over with and everyone could go home.

Officer Pulliam headed to his patrol car smiling to himself. Mr. Winchester's vehicle had been spotted parked on Oak Street. _"Finally",_ he thought. _"A break."_ Course it had just about taken an act of Congress to stop Mrs. Pool from coming with him. He'd had to threaten to put her in a jail cell to get her to agree to stay. Pulling onto the road, he wondered what Mr. Winchester was doing on Oak Street. _"Could he be in on the kidnapping?"_ the officer thought. _"If he is, he's one of the best actors I've ever seen. He really seemed freaked." _Shaking his head, Officer Pulliam decided to reserve judgment until he found the man and questioned him. With that thought in mind, he stepped on the gas and zoomed toward Oak Street.

Mrs. Pool was outraged and was making sure everyone in the station knew it. How dare he threaten to put her in a cell and then leave an officer here watching her! It was her child that was missing. She had every right to be there when he was finally found and no one was going to stop her! Quickly formulating a plan, Mrs. Pool glared over at the officer sitting next to her. "I need to go to the ladies room." she snapped at him. "Where is it?" Seeing him start to get up she growled, "Just point it out! I'm a big girl. I think I can go all by myself, you twit!" She was pleased to see him sit back down and point across the room. Her plan was working perfectly. She walked inside the bathroom and waited. Peeking out a few minutes later, she noticed that the officer had stepped over to the water cooler. Knowing this might be her only chance; she quickly stepped out of the bathroom and strolled over to the entrance and out the door. She took off at a sprint, jumped in her car, and roared out of the station. "I'm coming Joey" she said as she speed toward Oak Street.

John, Dean, and Bobby watched as the three kidnappers made their way inside the old abandoned warehouse. "Crap, they had the boys there all along. I knew we should have finished checking the place out." John grumbled as they silently approached the building. Inching the door open and stepping inside, they heard the men stomping up the stairs. Bobby led the way to the stairs and the three made their way up. Seeing an open door on the second floor, the men snuck over and peered in. Bobby took in every aspect of the scene. The three boys were sleeping on an old couch over in a corner. The kidnappers were standing around a desk talking to someone that he couldn't see. What he heard next made his blood run cold and set his feet in motion.

"Things have gotten way out of hand. I say we cut our losses. Let's get rid of the brats, toss their bodies, and beat a path outta here!" Jade ranted as he smirked at the sleeping boys.

Mark scowled at his accomplice. "Jade, we can't. . ." The rest of his sentence was cut off as the door suddenly slammed against the wall and two men burst in with their guns drawn.

Bobby trained his gun on the man he'd heard threaten the boys. "Don't move a muscle." he snarled.

John came up beside Bobby. Using his gun to point at the other two kidnappers, he yelled, "You two go stand behind the desk with your boss." As soon as the kidnappers moved, John and Bobby's chins dropped to the floor. There behind the desk was Mr. Smith looking quite frightened. Thinking he had misread the situation, John ordered the kidnappers to stand against the back wall and then addressed the man behind the desk. "Mr. Smith, thank you for finding the boys and taking care of them. Sorry about the boss comment. I just assumed they were talking to an ally." Seeing that the man was still nervous he added, "Don't worry, we've got the kidnappers. They're not going anywhere fast. How about calling the police and telling them our location while Bobby and I take care of this trash."

Mr. Smith smiled at John as he walked over to the boys and sat down next to them. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Mr. Winchester." he replied as he pulled a knife out from behind his back. "You see, I masterminded this plan and I intend to carry it through. Now put down your guns before I slip and cut little Sammy's neck."

Bobby and John had no choice. They laid their guns on the floor and slowly raised their hands. Mark and Jade made quick work of tying the two men up and throwing them in front of the couch. They never saw the smallest rescuer step back out the door and down the hall.

Dean managed to slip out the door unseen as soon as the trouble started. Racing quietly down the stairs, he headed out the door to find help for his family.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- Dean managed to slip out the door unseen as soon as the trouble started. Racing quietly down the stairs, he headed out the door to find help for his family.

Mrs. Pool pulled her car into the parking spot beside Officer Pulliam's patrol car. Stepping out of the car, she carefully scrutinized the area looking for any sign of the detective but he was no where to be seen. Undaunted she walked into the diner and up to the counter. After conversing with the sympathetic waitress for a few minutes, Mrs. Pool strolled back out and headed down the street following the officer's trail.

Mr. Smith glanced over at his captives. What had started as a simple kidnapping had grown into a hostage situation. Things had definitely gotten out of hand, and he was at a loss as to what he needed to do to fix it. He couldn't let them go; he'd be in jail in a heartbeat. But he didn't want to kill them either. Pondering over his options, he noticed that something, or more appropriately, someone was missing. "Winchester, where's your other son?" he growled.

John stopped trying to get out of the ropes and stared at Mr. Smith. He'd hoped no one would catch on to Dean's little disappearing act. He should have known he couldn't be that lucky. John and Bobby exchanged glances before John scowled up at their captor and replied. "He's not with us. He went with Ray and Gary to search the other end of the street."

"Good. I don't need anyone else messing up my perfect plan." Mr. Smith said as he rounded the desk to stand in front of John. "If you had just stayed away, your son and his friends would probably be home safe and sound by now. But instead you've mucked things up and I have to decide what to do about it."

"Why did you take the boys in the first place? Are you that hard up for money that you'd rob your friends?" Bobby inquired in an attempt to buy Dean some time.

"Money? Is that what you think this is about?" Mr. Smith yelled. "This has nothing to do with money! This is about teaching Mr. Sims a lesson. He has to learn he can't keep throwing his money in everyone's face." Noticing his captives' confused looks, Mr. Smith decided to explain his plan. "My guys were only supposed to take Nolan but Sammy and Christian refused to leave him. I never meant to involve your families, just Ray's. The boys are always talking about him. Its Mr. Sims did this or Mr. Sims gave us that. They love him because he gives them all the things their parents can't afford. I volunteer in that classroom, help the kids with their work, play with them at recess, and plan special activities to make school fun. And they love me for being their friend. But then Mr. Sims shows up once every blue moon and hands out some new toy, and the kids think he's the best."

"Wait a minute!" Bobby exclaimed. "You mean to tell me you kidnapped those little boys and scared the crap outta everyone because you're jealous of Mr. Sims? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of, you idjit!"

Enraged Mr. Smith's fist slammed into Bobby's face splitting his lip. Before he could inflict anymore damage, a small voice caught his attention.

Sammy awoke to someone shouting. Opening his eyes he saw his father and Bobby sitting in front of him and Mr. Smith yelling at them. He silently watched as the three men exchanged heated words. However when Mr. Smith hit Bobby, Sammy decided to jump into the battle. Leaping off the couch, he ran up to Mr. Smith hollering, "Leave my Uncle alone!"

Mr. Smith looked down at Sammy and put on his sweetest smile. "It's alright, Sammy. I wasn't hurting him. He had a bee on his nose and I was trying to shoo it away before it stung him." he lied.

Sammy crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at Mr. Smith. "Yeah, right. And I'm Santa Claus." he growled out. "Now get away from my daddy and uncle before I knock your block off." Sammy raised his little fists to show he meant business.

Mr. Smith stared down at the little boy. _"How dare he talk to me that way!" _he thought. "Fine. I'll leave them alone for now. I need to go talk to my partners anyway. Maybe I'll send Jade back in to play with you. Would you like that, Sammy?" he asked grinning wickedly as the little boy backed away looking frightened. Mr. Smith strolled out the door leaving his hostages alone.

John waited until he was certain their captor was out of hearing range before speaking. "Sammy come over here, kiddo." he called.

Sammy slowly walked over to his daddy and sat in his lap. Looking up he whispered, "I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't know he was a bad man."

John was shocked. His baby thought he had done something wrong. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Sammy. There was no way you could have known. He fooled everybody, even me and Bobby." Seeing the forlorn expression on Sam's face, John continued. "Sammy, I'm proud of you. You managed to tell us where you were and you stood up to Mr. Smith just now even though he's a lot bigger than you. You did good, sport!"

"Hey, Sammy! You think you can do Uncle Bobby another favor?" Bobby asked. At Sam's nod Bobby said "I need you to get my knife out of my left boot and cut the ropes off your daddy and me?"

Sammy grinned as he limped over to his uncle to get the hidden knife. He carefully pulled the knife out of its hiding place and started slowly cutting the ropes.

Noticing his son's limp, John immediately became concerned. Wondering what the kidnappers had done to his boy, he searched for any other signs of injuries. Not seeing anything besides a bruise and cut on Sam's face, he decided to ask. "Sammy, what happened to your leg?"

"He hurt it when we jumped off the fire escape." a sleepy voice behind him answered.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Winchester?" another voice asked. "Did you come to rescue us?"

Looking up into Christian's and Nolan's smiling faces; John smiled back and answered, "Bobby and I came to take you guys back home. But we got caught, too. Looks like Sammy's the hero this time."

The rope on Bobby's wrists snapped freeing him. Taking the knife from Sammy, Bobby hugged the youngster tightly before turning to cut John free. In moments, John was free and holding his baby boy while Bobby checked on the other two boys. Satisfied that the boys were okay, John and Bobby searched the room for any type of weapon. Finding their guns stuffed in a drawer, the men snatched them up, checked to make sure the clips were still loaded, and led the boys to the door. Bobby peeked out the door listening for any movement. Hearing none, he led the way to the back staircase determined to get the boys to safety before coming back to take care of the kidnappers. The group reached the stairway and crept down the stairs. Spotting the back entrance, they carefully made their way over and walked out of the building unnoticed.

Dean raced around Oak Street searching for someone to help. He had gone to several pay phones only to find them destroyed. Running back toward the diner, he spied Officer Pulliam coming out of a motel. _"Finally"_ he thought as he dashed over to the man. Seeing the officer about to go into another building, Dean started shouting to get his attention. "Officer Pulliam! Help! I need help!"

Officer Pulliam was just about to walk into an old apartment building when he heard someone shouting his name. Glancing down the street he noticed a familiar young boy running towards him yelling for help. The officer took off at a sprint and met the child halfway. Kneeling down he looked the boy right in the eyes and started questioning him. "What's wrong? Aren't you Winchester's boy? Where is he? What are you doing here? What's going on?"

Dean groaned as the officer started spouting off questions left and right without pausing for any answers. He stared at Officer Pulliam willing him to shut up so they could go help his family. When that didn't work, Dean resorted to screaming, "Shut the hell up and listen already!" Grinning at the stunned silence he quickly relayed the facts. "The kidnappers have my dad, uncle, brother, and his friends in a small office on the second floor of that warehouse over there. We need to go rescue them. Think you can handle that or would you rather stand around here and play twenty questions?"

Officer Pulliam couldn't believe the kid in front of him! He sounded more like a drill sergeant than a child. He briefly wondered what had happened in this child's life that had caused him to grow up so fast. Shaking off his musing, the officer stood and headed down the street. "Let's go save your family" he called over his shoulder at Dean. The two set out at a fast walk trying hard not to draw attention to themselves. When they reached the building, Officer Pulliam led Dean around to the back of the building planning on sneaking into the warehouse. As the officer reached for the doorknob the door suddenly opened and a man peered out at them.

"Dad" Dean whispered running over and hugging his father. Letting go he watched as the three little boys came out followed by Bobby. Dean followed the group behind an abandoned store and stopped beside his dad. He watched and listened as the three men had a brief discussion before staring down at him.

John looked down at his eldest hating what he was about to do but there was no other way. "Dean, we have to go take care of the kidnappers. I want you to take the boys back to the car. Lock yourselves inside and don't get out or let anyone in unless its one of us." he ordered. Turning to the little boys he added, "Sammy, you and your friends need to go with Dean. Do exactly what he tells you. Understand?"

"Yes sir" all the boys answered.

The men watched as the boys made their way across the street smiling as they saw Dean notice Sammy's limp, scoop his little brother up in his arms, and carry him. Once the boys were out of sight the men headed back to the warehouse to deal with the kidnappers.

Dean readjusted his hold on his brother as they walked to the waiting impala. "Geez Sammy! What've you been eating? You weigh a ton!" he complained as the little boys giggled. Making it to the car he opened the door and placed Sammy inside before stepping aside for the others to climb in. Dean kept his ears open listening for any trouble but all he heard were cars zooming by and some lady shouting for her son Joey. Slamming the back door, he climbed in the driver's side door and proceeded to lock all the doors. That job accomplished he turned and was about to ask the boys how they had escaped when he noticed a woman running to the car yelling. _"Crap! What now?"_ Dean thought as the woman started banging on the windows.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke. Roseanne isn't mine either.

Previously on Supernatural-_"Crap! What now?"_ Dean thought as the woman started banging on the windows.

Sammy and his friends stared at the woman franticly banging on the back window shouting for a Joey to open the door. The three boys backed away from the window and huddled against the door on the other side of the car. They watched as the lady ran around to their side of the car and began knocking on the window above them. Becoming frightened the boys scooted to the middle of the seat and looked to Dean for help. "Make her go away, Dean! She's scaring me!" Christian screamed as he dropped onto the floorboard hands over his ears to escape the noise.

Dean watched as the woman followed his brother and his friends to the other side of the car. "You guys know her or this Joey kid?" he asked the little boys. At the boys' negative response, Dean went into "big brother" mode. Leaping into the backseat with his brother, he started yelling, "There ain't no Joey here! Beat it lady before I call the cops!" When she continued to bang and yell, he turned his attention to the younger boys. "Don't worry, guys. She can't get in. I locked all the doors, and dad's the only one with a key. We're safe." he told the boys in an attempt to calm them down. It didn't work. The longer it went on, the more upset the boys became. It wasn't long before Dean had three crying five year olds on his hands. That was the last straw! He had had it! Slamming his hand against the window, he was pleased to see her jump back from the car. Hopping back into the front seat, he threw the glove compartment open, snatched the 45 out of it, and turned back to the woman at the window. Putting on his best "mad dad" glare, Dean hollered, "Get the hell away from us, you b- witch!" When she didn't move, he added, "Don't make me shoot you!" pointing the gun at her to let her know he meant business. He watched as she backed away from the car, turned, and ran into the diner. He placed the gun in a hidden compartment under the driver's seat and climbed back over the seats to sit with the little boys. Dean picked Sammy up setting him in his lap. Putting his arms around the other two boys he pulled them up next to him. He sat there holding all three boys whispering, "It's okay. She's gone."

Sammy clung to his big brother's shirt. He was afraid that the woman was going to come and take him away from his family like those men did. Glancing up at his brother he asked the question all three little boys were thinking; "Dean, what if she comes back?"

Dean gazed down at the little boys in his care and smiled. "Its okay, Sammy. I've got a plan. Here's what we're going to do." Dean quickly laid the plan out for the others and together they put it in action.

Mrs. Pool was furious! She'd finally found her Joey only to be blocked by an older boy locking the car doors on her. Banging on the windows she had pleaded for her son to open the door so she could take him home. But instead of coming to her he seemed afraid of her. And then the older kid had the nerve to point a gun at her! Fearing for her son's safety she backed away from the car and ran into the diner. It didn't take her long to think up a good cover story to get the boys out of the car. Finding the same sympathetic waitress, she explained that she had found her son with friends and that the boys had locked themselves in a car when she told him it was time to go home. Adding that her son had asthma and that it was past time for his breathing treatment she pleaded with the waitress to help her. The waitress hurried to the kitchen, coming back out with the cook carrying a coat hanger, and followed Mrs. Pool out the door. Mrs. Pool raced to the car only to stop dead in her tracks. She stared in shock not believing what she was seeing.

The cook came up behind her. He looked from the car to Mrs. Pool. "Ah, ma'am, are you sure this is the right car?" he asked as he peered into the empty impala.

Officer Pulliam stopped at the entrance to the warehouse and turned to his companions. "Alright before we go in let's get a few things straight. I'm in charge. You will follow my lead and do exactly as I say. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal" John growled rolling his eyes. "Now if you're done with your Hitler impression, can we get on with it? I'd like to get back to my kids before they graduate."

Officer Pulliam ran his hand through his hair. This family was really starting to get on his nerves. "Fine, Roseanne. Let's go." he snapped back smirking when he heard Bobby's laughter. Slowly opening the door he disappeared inside followed by John and Bobby. Once inside they silently walked up the stairs listening for any sign of the kidnappers. At the top they headed for the small office where they had been held. Hearing footsteps coming up the front staircase, the men rushed inside the office and took up positions around the door. They watched as the doorknob turned and the door opened. John was in motion as soon as a figure stepped through the doorway. Grabbing the man by the back of the shirt, John threw him against the wall pointing his gun at the man's head. Recognition hit John and Bobby at the same time. This was Jade; the man who'd threatened to kill the kids. The next few minutes were a blur as John took all his anger and fear out on the man who had threatened his baby boy. By the time Bobby and Officer Pulliam were able to pull John off, Jade was lying on the floor beaten to a bloody pulp.

"Dammit, John! I thought I made myself clear!" Officer Pulliam fiercely whispered as he prevented John from getting his hands on Jade again. "Now calm down and pull yourself together before I cuff you to the desk!"

Hearing that threat Bobby stepped between the two and pulled John off to the side. Quietly talking to John he watched as the officer handcuffed the unconscious Jade to the leg of the desk. After several tense moments, he finally got through to his friend, and John started to calm down. Once he was sure John had control of himself Bobby headed towards the door making a point of stepping on Jade. "Oops! My bad!" he said as he stomped on Jade's hand and continued on his way. Turning to stare at the other two he called out, "Well, what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? Let's finish this!"

Officer Pulliam and John exchanged amused looks before following Bobby out the door. Quickly resuming his place as the leader of the group, Officer Pulliam led them down the front stairs. Hearing raised voices at the end of the hall the men headed that way guns at the ready.

"NO! We're sticking to the plan!" Mr. Smith yelled. "We get the money from Sims, leave clues pointing to him as the mastermind, and then sit back and watch all the excitement."

"What about the kids and the men? We can't let them go. They know you." Mark pointed out.

"I know. I'm afraid they will be the unfortunate victims of a tragic warehouse fire." Mr. Smith told them. "Of course that will be blamed on Mr. Sims as well. It'll work perfectly."

"I don't think so." Officer Pulliam shouted as he burst into the room followed by John and Bobby. "Hands up, gentlemen. You're all under arrest for kidnapping."

Mark and Michael immediately put their hands in the air and surrendered. Mr. Smith, on the other hand, wasn't giving up so easily. "Officer! I'm so glad you're here. These two men caught me trying to rescue the boys and brought me here. They kept calling me their boss so I played along with them. But Winchester's the real boss. They called me Winchester several times." he lied as he edged closer to Officer Pulliam.

"Is that so?" Officer Pulliam asked as he put his gun away. "In that case let me help you, sir." he added as he reached out to Mr. Smith. As soon as Mr. Smith took his hand, the officer spun him around and snapped the cuffs on his wrists. Turning his prisoner back to face him, he said, "One more thing, Mr. Smith." Officer Pulliam drew back his fist and decked the kidnapper knocking him out. "I hate it when people lie to me." he declared grinning at the stunned looks on John's and Bobby's faces. "Bobby go get the rope from upstairs so we can tie these goons up until reinforcements get here."

They had just finished tying the last kidnapper up when they heard the sound of footsteps. Moments later two policemen were taking custody of the prisoners. As they walked the men out of the building Officer Pulliam noticed that there was only one patrol car out front. He waited until the prisoners were settled into the car before asking. "Fred, where are the others? I thought I asked for Chuck and Pete to come with you guys." he questioned.

"They were but they stopped at the diner up the street. Some kids locked themselves in a car and one of the boys' moms needed help to get him out." Fred informed them.

John froze as he heard the officer's response. "What kind of car is it?" he asked hoping his gut feeling was wrong this time.

"Not sure." Fred answered. "All I know is its big and black. Why?"

"The boys!" John and Bobby hollered at the same time. Both men started running down the street to the diner. "Radio you're men and tell them not to let anyone in that car!" John yelled to Officer Pulliam as he continued to run. He had a family to save; again.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- "The boys!" John and Bobby hollered at the same time. Both men started running down the street to the diner. "Radio your men and tell them not to let anyone in that car!" John yelled to Officer Pulliam as he continued to run. He had a family to save; again.

Mrs. Pool anxiously paced the parking lot of the diner. The two policemen she had flagged down had searched inside and under every car in the lot without finding any trace of her son or his friends. She watched as they extended their search to include the area around the diner. She was close; she could feel it. He couldn't have gotten far in the small amount of time she had been away from the car. She was going to bring him home this time. She knew her time was running out. She needed to find him and leave before that Winchester fellow could come and take him away again. Hearing a shout, Mrs. Pool glanced down the street to see three men racing towards her and they did not look happy.

Officer Pulliam groaned when he saw who was standing beside the impala. _"Great! Just what I needed. More trouble."_ he thought as he doubled his pace. Shouting at his officers to meet him at the car, he quickly ran up to it making a point to put himself between Mrs. Pool and Mr. Winchester. "What do you think you're doing here? I told you to wait at the station." he yelled glaring at Mrs. Pool.

"I am not one of your men, Officer Pulliam. You can't just order me around. I have every right to be here." Mrs. Pool told the officer. "My son is here and I'm not leaving until I have him."

"Son? What's she talking about, Officer?" John asked while looking around the impala for any sign of the boys.

"I was going to wait until we had the boys to spring this on you but since she let the cat out of the bag, I guess I'll tell you now. This lady, Mrs. Pool seems to think that Sammy is her son Joey who was kidnapped when he was three." the officer explained. Noticing the anger on the men's faces he motioned one of the other officers over. He whispered instructions to the other man before speaking to Mrs. Pool. "I want you to go into the diner with Officer Pete." Seeing her about to object he quickly added, "You can go sit in the diner with the officer or he can cuff you and put you in the back of his patrol car, you choice." Waiting until the two had made it into the diner, Officer Pulliam then turned back to John and Bobby. "Let's concentrate on finding the boys. We can deal with the rest later. Any idea where the boys would go to hide?" he asked.

John couldn't believe what he was hearing! This woman was trying to claim his baby boy as her son. There was no way this "lady" was getting her hands on his boy! He took a deep breath to calm himself as he watched Mrs. Pool being led into the diner. Once she was out of sight he was able to regain control of himself and his thoughts. Focusing back on job at hand John took a long hard look at the impala. Moments later he nudged Bobby pointing at something in the floorboard in the back.

"Well I'll be" Bobby said staring at the empty McDonald's cup lying in the floorboard with its straw pointing toward the back seat. "That's one smart boy you've got there, Johnny!"

Seeing Officer Pulliam's confused expression, John nodded to the empty cup as he unlocked the front door of the car. "The boys have been in the car the whole time. That cup and straw are Dean's way of communicating their location to me and me only." John sat down in the driver's seat and called out, "Dean, Bobby and I are here. It's safe to come out now, sport."

Officer Pulliam watched in amazement as the back seat was knocked over and the little boys crawled out of the trunk one by one. "Mr. Winchester, have you ever considered becoming a police officer?" he offered. "None of my men would have ever picked up on that clue."

John laughed as he hugged all his boys. "I can't take credit for that one. The cup was all Dean's idea." he bragged. "Guess we need to call Christian and Nolan's dad and tell them where we are." he mentioned as he pulled out his phone.

Officer Pulliam and Dean talked about his "cup clue" while John called the other boys' fathers. He was so wrapped up in the conversation that he never noticed Mrs. Pool rushing toward them until he heard Sammy cry out. Turning he saw Mrs. Pool heading to her vehicle dragging a struggling Sam by his wrist. He started toward the pair with Dean and Bobby hot on his heels.

Sammy fought with everything he had to get out of this crazy lady's grasp but her grip never even loosened. Knowing he had to get out of her clutches before she made it to her car, he did the only other thing he could think of; he bit her hand. As soon as he felt her start to let go, he kicked out connecting with her knee. He then turned and ran away from her not stopping until he was safe in Bobby's arms. Sammy wrapped both arms around his uncle's neck and held on for dear life. He was not going to chance anyone snatching him again. "I wanna go home, Uncle Bobby! Please, take me home!" he begged as clung to his protector.

Officer Pulliam dashed past Bobby and the boys coming to a halt in front of Mrs. Pool blocking her from the family's sight. "Stop right there, Mrs. Pool." he commanded as he grabbed her by the shoulders to prevent her from getting to the little boy. "Mr. Winchester's going to come over here in a minute and then we'll straighten everything out. But you are not going to go over there and upset those children again!"

Mrs. Pool twisted and turned attempting to break the officer's grip but he was just too strong. Knowing she couldn't get free and get to her son just made her angrier. "There's nothing to straighten out! That is my son Joey in that redneck's arms! I demand that you bring me my son and arrest the man that's pretending to be his father!" she spat out glaring at the officer. She made another attempt to get free when she saw John walking her way. Failing she settled for turning her death glare on the two men who had taken her baby away from her.

Bobby took Sammy back to the impala whispering to him the whole time. At the car he nodded at Mr. Sims and Mr. Mathews before carefully handing Sam to Dean. "Dean, I want you to take your brother and get into the car. Stay there until me or your dad comes to get you. No one else. Got it?" he asked.

"Yes sir" Dean answered as he climbed into the impala with his brother. He locked the door as soon as Bobby shut it and then focused all his attention on comforting Sammy.

"Don't worry about them. We'll be right here standing guard while you're gone." Ray told Bobby as he and Gary took up positions on either side of the car. "Go take care of that witch. We'll make sure nothing else happens to the boys." After thanking the men, Bobby walked towards John and the officer to find out what the hell that lady's problem was.

John slowly walked up to Officer Pulliam and the woman he was struggling with. Observing the look on her face he was tempted to yell, "Cristo!" at her to make sure she wasn't possessed. Making it to the officer's side he calmly asked, "Now what's all this nonsense about Sammy being her son? Does she have any kind of proof or are you going by her word?"

"Joey! His name is Joey, not Sammy! Not that you don't already know that seeing as how you took him from me!" Mrs. Pool shouted. "But if you need proof. Fine! How do you explain this?" she gloated tossing a faded picture at John.

John glanced at the picture before handing it to Bobby. He couldn't deny that the boy in the photo looked exactly like Sammy but he also knew it wasn't Sammy. He was just about to tell her that when Bobby spoke up.

"Hey, Kojak! Did you even bother to look at the back of this photo?" he questioned. "Guess not, or we wouldn't be talking right now." he added as he held the picture up for the others to see. Handwritten on the back were the words- Mama and Joey, December 1982. Bobby waited a few seconds for the information to sink in before he said, "Last time I checked Sammy was five not eight."

Officer Pulliam stared out the handwritten words. How could he have missed such an obvious clue? He was usually on top of things. _"Time for a vacation."_ he thought. Glancing at Mrs. Pool he couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. He had two small children at home and he couldn't imagine what it would be like to have one of them missing. And then to see another child years later that's a dead ringer for her missing son. No wonder the woman was a little off. He'd probably be in a nut house. Putting those thoughts aside, he carefully schooled his expression and spoke. "Mrs. Pool, I'm afraid he's right. Sammy does look like Joey but he can't be your son. He's too young. I'm sorry if all this has brought up bad memories for you. If you'd like someone to talk to, I can arrange to have one of our counselors come out to see you." Seeing Mrs. Pool shake her head, he continued, "Alright. But if you change you mind, just call the station. One of my officers will take you home now."

Mrs. Pool stood and listened to Officer Pulliam's words growing more furious by the second. _"It's a conspiracy!"_ she thought as she shook her head. _"The police are in it with the Winchesters. They're sending my baby home with that man and covering the whole thing up!"_ Knowing she wouldn't get anywhere with the officer, she refused to let anyone take her home. Stating that she was perfectly capable of driving herself, she walked to the car and left. Ideas flew through her mind on the drive home. She needed to find out where the Winchesters were staying, where Joey went to school, and what their routine was. If the police wouldn't help, she'd just have to take her son back on her own. Mrs. Pool pulled in the driveway and hurried into her house. She had a lot of work to do.

AN- The boys hiding in the trunk came from my brother. He's the one that told me you could get to the trunk through the back seat.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Sorry for the wait, guys. This chapter just didn't want to be written.

Previously on Supernatural- If the police wouldn't help, she'd just have to take her son back on her own. Mrs. Pool pulled in the driveway and hurried into her house. She had a lot of work to do.

John and Bobby spent several minutes speaking with Officer Pulliam. Promising to bring Sammy to the station tomorrow to talk with an officer about the kidnapping John shook Officer Pulliam's hand and walked back to the impala and his waiting family. Bobby waited until his friend was out of hearing range before asking what was on his mind. "What about Mrs. Pool? How do you know she won't try to get Sammy again?"

Officer Pulliam glanced over at the small family. The youngest Winchester was clutching his father's shirt and looking fearfully around like he was afraid someone was about to jump out and grab him again. And the way the older brother was standing protectively in front of them reminded the officer of the secret service that guarded the President. Smiling at the image of the miniature "bodyguard" he looked back at Bobby and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Singer. We'll be sending someone out to follow up with Mrs. Pool and make sure she's not a danger to Sammy or anyone else. Now go be with your family. It looks like your brother's going to have his hands full dealing with the fallout of all this."

"Brother? I don't have a. . ." Bobby's words trailed off as it dawned on him just who the officer was talking about. "Oh, you mean John. He's not my brother, just a good friend. He started the uncle bit a few years back. Sammy and Dean were in the hospital, and John couldn't be with both of them at the same time. They would only allow family to sit with Sammy so Uncle Bobby was born."

"Sorry about that Mr. Singer." Officer Pulliam apologized. "Listen, I have to get back to the station and deal with Mr. Smith and his gang. Thanks for all the help finding the boys but next time how about letting the police in on what's happening, okay?"

"No offense, but I hope there won't be a next time. Once was more than enough for me." Bobby stated as he shook the officer's hand. He watched the man walk away before heading to the impala. Walking over to his family he mulled over everything that had happened with Mrs. Pool. Bobby had a bad feeling about her. He'd seen the look in her eyes as she left the parking lot and he was sure that she would make another attempt to get Sammy. They'd just have to be ready for her when she did. Deciding to wait until the boys were asleep to discuss it with John, he put those thoughts aside and put on his biggest smile. "Hey guys! What do you say we try out that new restaurant? You know the one with the big inside play place. How about it Sammy? Wanna go?" he asked. His smile turned into a frown as Sammy shrank away from him.

Sammy held onto his daddy with all his might. As his daddy talked with Ray and Gary he continuously glanced all around them looking for anyone who even looked like they were coming to take him away again. He was so intent in his task that he never noticed the others leaving or Bobby coming over. Hearing a loud voice say something about taking him somewhere, Sammy reacted by tightening his grip on John's shirt, burrowing into his daddy's chest, and mumbling, "I wanna go home!" over and over.

Stunned by his son's actions, John started rubbing Sammy's back and slowly rocking him from side to side in an attempt to calm him down. "Shh, Sammy. It's okay. Daddy's got you. You're alright." he whispered. After a few minutes, Sammy stopped mumbling but he didn't release his hold on his dad. John pulled his car keys out of his pocket, tossed them to Bobby, and walked to the back door of the impala with his boys. Following Dean into the back seat, he carefully sat down and closed the door. John and Dean continued to whisper reassurances to Sammy all the way home.

Mrs. Pool sat at her desk flipping through the phone book searching for the names of all the elementary schools in the county. Writing down each school's name and number she tried to think of a cover story to tell the school secretaries to get the information she needed. She knew Joey was going by the name Sammy Winchester and that he had a big brother named Dean. She also knew that he should be in kindergarten since one of the men had said he was five. All she needed was a way to get the secretaries to divulge student information over the phone. As she scanned the pages her mind drifted to special times she'd had with Joey. She remembered every birthday and Christmas perfectly. Those moments had been the best times of her life and now there would be more special days to celebrate. Mrs. Pool grinned as a plan began to form in her mind. This was it! She had all the school numbers and the perfect cover story. All she had to do was wait until the schools opened in the morning. Joey was as good as found!

It had been a rough evening. Things had gone well until they stepped out of the car and their neighbor, Mrs. Wells, had come running up to make sure Sam was alright. Sammy had tried to crawl up John to get away from the woman. Bobby managed to sidetrack her long enough for John to get the boys inside but the damage had already been done. They spent the next hour attempting to calm the boy back down. Once things quieted down Bobby ordered pizza for supper. Not wanting to spook the youngest Winchester again Bobby watched the clock and walked outside to wait for the delivery person. John and Dean did their best to get Sammy to eat but the little guy was just too upset. He jumped at every little noise and refused to let John or Dean out of his sight. John finally managed to give the boy a bath and get him dressed for bed. He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Sammy's hair until he fell asleep. John waited until he was sure Sammy was sleeping peacefully before making his way to the door. Stopping in the doorway he turned to gaze at his boys. He'd almost lost of them today because he had been selfish and that was unacceptable. He was going to make sure nothing like this ever happened again. Promising himself to be a better father John silently closed the door and headed down the hall to the kitchen.

Officer Pulliam pulled out of the station and headed home grateful that the day was finally over and for once the bad guys were right where they belonged; behind bars. He smiled as he recalled the difference in the interrogations of the accused men. Mark, Michael, and Jade had been incredibly easy to break. They'd started singing as soon as an officer walked in the door. The "three stooges" were only too eager to give the police the boss' name and all the details of Mr. Smith's kidnapping plan. Of course they mysteriously didn't have any recollection of how the Winchester boy had gotten hurt. That would have to come from the child himself. Still, they had been a wealth of information. Mr. Smith, on the other hand, had firmly denied any involvement in the kidnappings. He'd maintained that it was a simple case of mistaken identity. He loudly and continuously pointed the finger at John Winchester saying that he was the mastermind of the operation. They hadn't been able to break him even when he was told of the other men's confessions. Officer Pulliam couldn't wait to speak with the three boys tomorrow and finish up this case. Hopefully the boys' statements would be enough to get Mr. Smith to confess. He didn't want the boys to have to go through a trial. Pulling into his garage the officer put all those thoughts out of his mind. He was home now and it was time to concentrate on his own family. He'd worry about the rest tomorrow.

John breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down at the kitchen table across from Bobby. "What am I gonna do, Bobby? Sammy won't even go into the bathroom by himself."

"Give him time, Johnny." Bobby told him as he went to the refrigerator and grabbed a couple of beers. "He's just found out that his little world can be a dangerous place. It's gonna take a while for Sammy to feel safe again. All we can do right now is be there for him."

John took the offered beer opening it as he thought about what Bobby's speech. "We'll try. But what if it doesn't work. What are we going to do then?" he questioned.

"Don't worry so much John. Sammy will bounce back in no time. Just wait and see." Bobby confidently stated.

"I hope you're right. I can't stand seeing him like this." John muttered taking a big swig of his drink.

Bobby nodded in agreement. "That reminds me. What are we going to do about Mrs. Pool? She might have fooled the police but not me. She hasn't given up getting her hands on Sammy. She's gonna try again. What do you want to do about it?" he asked.

"Nothing for now. I'm keeping the boys home tomorrow so there's no way she can get to him. I'll have a long talk with Mr. Bonner and Mrs. Sheppard before he goes back to school to make sure they're aware of the situation." John answered. "Right now Sammy is my main concern. I'll worry about Mrs. Pool and the rest later."

Mrs. Pool was getting frustrated. So far she had called three schools and none of them had a Sam Winchester registered. Punching the numbers into the phone for the next target, she attempted to get her emotions back under control. Her ploy wouldn't work if there was any emotion in her voice. Hearing the secretary answer she spoke, "This is Mrs. Holt from Child Protective Services. I'm calling in regard to a complaint filed about two children; a Dean and Sammy Winchester. I was informed that they are enrolled in your school. They are. Good. I'll be coming by to talk to them this morning. Oh, they're not. Do they miss a lot of school days? They don't. Alright, well I a guess I'll be doing a home visit then. Could you confirm their address? No, I understand you have rules against giving out student information. I just didn't want to drive all the way to the address only to find out it wasn't the correct one. No, I understand. Thank you for your time. Good day." Mrs. Pool slammed the phone down. She couldn't believe the stupid witch refused to give her Joey's address! She didn't think anyone ever said no to CPS. At least she had a starting point now. Now all she could do was stake out the school every morning until her son showed up.

The Winchester's day had been just as bad if not worse than the night before. After a nightmare filled night, everyone had slept until late into the morning. John had deposited Sammy onto the couch with a pillow under his ankle. He still refused to let any of them out of his sight for more than a few minutes. They had tried everything to bring Sam out of the shell he was hiding in. They'd watched movies and played his favorite games. They had even gone as far as ordering salad with their pizza. But nothing had any effect on him. He sat quietly holding onto his dad or Dean not participating in any of the fun or even smiling. The only time Sam became animated was when John attempted to take him to the police station to talk with Officer Pulliam. Sam had pitched a major tantrum, kicking and hitting his father and screaming at the top of his lungs. John had quickly called an end to the trip and Dean spent a long time calming his little brother down. Since then Sammy had gone back to his statue imitation and the others were at a loss as to what to do to help him.

Bobby's heart broke as he watched the once playful, outgoing boy sit timidly on the couch. He was beginning to doubt his advice to John. He had been so sure that Sammy would snap out of it after spending a little time at home but it didn't look like that was going to happen. He was clinging to his family for dear life. Turning his attention back to the paper Bobby noticed an ad at the bottom of the page. That just might be the thing they needed. It would take some work but if he could pull it off, Sammy might be Sammy again. Excusing himself Bobby walked into the kitchen to make a few phone calls. He had arrangements to make.

Mrs. Pool drove home furious with John Winchester. She had sat in a driveway near the school all morning waiting to catch a glimpse of that old car, and he hadn't shown up. How dare he keep her son out of school and away from her! It was bad enough that he had sent his cop friends to make sure she wasn't thinking about getting her son back. She was too smart for them though. She'd fooled the cop at her house by saying all the right things at the right times. She was going to get her baby back. It was only a matter of time.

Bobby grinned to himself as the small family ate breakfast. He'd managed to get everyone to agree to his plan. All he had to do now was wait for the others. Seeing his conspirators pull up in the yard, Bobby opened the door and waved them in. "Thanks for coming. Let's get this show on the road." he told them.

"Mr. Winchester! Mr. Winchester!" Christian and Nolan hollered as they latched onto John's legs. "Hey, Sammy! Our daddies have a surprise for us! You're coming, too, aren't you?" Seeing their friend shake his head Christian detached himself from John and went to sit in the chair with Sam. "Please, Sammy? We can't go without you. It's gonna be fun. Please? I really wanna go!" he begged.

Sammy almost smiled as he watched his friends tackle his dad. Then he heard them ask about going somewhere. He began shaking his head. He wasn't ever leaving the house again! If he did, someone would come take him again. He didn't want to go anywhere. Sam felt guilty when Christian started begging especially when he said they couldn't go without him. He wanted his friends to have fun but he didn't want to go. He didn't know what to do. One look at Christian and Nolan's version of the kicked puppy look made up his mind for him. There was no way he could say no to them then. "Okay" he whispered. Minutes later they were in the car.

Bobby pulled into the first spot in the parking lot of the mall. The mall didn't officially open for another two hours but after several well placed calls; the store he needed had agreed to open just for them. Looking in the rearview mirror he could see Sammy getting more nervous by the second and he hoped he was doing the right thing. "Alright guys, let's get this party started!" he called as he opened the back door for the boys. Bobby escorted the group to the door of the mall where Officer Pulliam was waiting for them.

"Hey, guys. I have a special treat for you boys. Are you ready?" he asked.

Christian and Nolan were jumping up and down with excitement. They tried their best to get Sammy involved but he was having none of it. He kept a tight grip on his daddy's shirt as they walked through the mall and into the one open store; build-a-bear workshop.

"Alright boys. For being so brave and helping catch the bad guys, you each get to build your own stuffed animal and dress it. Pick anything you want." Officer Pulliam announced. He watched as Christian and Nolan immediately ran into the store and started looking around.

Sammy gazed around the store in awe. He'd never seen so many stuffed animals in one place. And there were clothes and toys and all kinds of other things for them. Curiosity got the better of him and he wiggled out of his father's arms. Holding John and Dean's hands he slowly walked along the row of stuffed animal skins carefully examining all of them.

Dean had to bite his tongue to keep from saying what he thought of the store. He was glad the mall wasn't open yet. He'd hate for anyone to see him in this place. Still it seemed to be helping Sammy. And he'd do anything to get his annoying little brother back. Dean grinned as Sammy looked over the animals three times before choosing a black bear. That was the Sammy he knew.

Sammy picked up the black bear skin. It was black and shiny just like the impala. Taking the bear to the sound box he listened to all the sounds before choosing the bear growl to scare away any bad people. Next he walked to the stuffing station with his family. They all took a heart to put inside the bear. Sam made a wish to stay with his family forever. He smiled when the lady made his daddy and Dean kiss the hearts and make a wish, too. Holding his dad's hand and his bear, Sam walked over to the wall filled with clothes. He checked out all the clothes carefully thinking about each piece of clothing. He finally picked an AC/DC shirt like Dean's, a pair of black jeans with a chain and boots like his daddy's, a ball cap like Uncle Bobby's, and a soccer ball and goal for himself. He let go of his daddy's hand to dress his bear. After naming it Sam walked to Officer Pulliam alone to show him his new bear and to thank him. Officer Pulliam gave each of the boys a police uniform for their bears and a badge for themselves. Sammy, Christian, and Nolan played on the floor while the grownups took care of paying for the animals. By the time they left the store, Sammy was walking in front with the little boys. Bobby's plan was a success!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- By the time they left the store, Sammy was walking in front with the little boys. Bobby's plan was a success!

John and Bobby sat watching Sammy as he happily played with the other boys. After leaving Build a Bear, they had driven over to Discovery Zone to let the boys run off some of their excess energy. Sammy, Dean, Nolan, and Christian had spent the morning climbing, sliding, and crawling on the equipment and were now engaged in a ball fight in the ball pit. Glancing down at his watch John decided it was time to go. They had just enough time to eat before meeting Officer Pulliam at the police station. John walked over to the ball pit and called, "Time to go, boys!"

"Awwww, do we haveta go?" Sammy, Nolan, and Christian whined giving their dads their best kicked puppy looks.

"Not working this time, guys" John told them covering his eyes and walking to the shoe cubbies. Setting the timer on his watch he added, "If you're not out in two minutes, I'm coming to get you."

The little boys giggled and immediately started climbing the rope bridge. They sat smiling at the top watching John and listening for the beep of the timer.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

John pressed the timer button and stared up at the boys. Smirking he hollered, "Alright, you asked for it! Here I come!" as he threw off his boots and raced to the maze entrance. The next several minutes were filled with the squeals and laughter of the boys as they tried to evade capture. After a couple of trips around the maze, John finally managed to trap them in the ball pit only to have the boys gain the upper hand as two boys pelted him with balls while the others snuck around and tackled him from behind. In the end Bobby, Gary, and Ray came to John's rescue saving him from drowning in the pit.

After a quick lunch at a nearby diner, it was time for the families to say good bye. Nolan and Christian headed home with their fathers having already talked with the police. John and Bobby herded the two younger Winchesters into the impala. John knew he'd better warn Sammy about what they were about to do. He just hoped Sam didn't have another meltdown. Taking a deep breath he turned to his boys and announced, "We have to go talk with Officer Pulliam now." When his youngest tensed up and grabbed his brother, John added, "Don't worry, Sammy. Dean, Bobby, and I will be with you the whole time. We won't let anything happen to you. Okay, kiddo." Seeing Sammy's slight nod John started the engine and pulled onto the road ready for the next few hours to be over.

John parked the impala in the first spot in front of the police station and cut the engine. They'd had a great morning at Build a Bear and Discovery Zone. John hoped that this side trip wouldn't undo all that. Looking at his boys in the rearview mirror he noticed that Sammy was nervously clutching his bear as he snuggled deeper into Dean's side. "We're here, boys. Are you ready to go talk to Officer Pulliam for a little while?" John asked.

Sammy's breath caught as he stared at the building in front of him. He'd managed to forget all about yesterday until now. He didn't want to go in there. They'd want him to remember all the bad stuff and he didn't want to remember. And he definitely didn't want to see the bad men again. Sammy burrowed into his big brother's side attempting to make himself disappear. Maybe if he was still and quiet enough, daddy would forget about going in there and would drive them home instead. Sam's hopes were dashed as his dad spoke. Leaning against Dean he violently shook his head. He continued shaking his head not stopping even when he felt Dean wrap his arms around him.

"_I knew this was a bad idea"_ John thought as he watched Dean attempting to comfort Sam. Before John could get out of the car, Bobby had climbed into the back seat and sat Sammy in his lap. Deciding to let his friend handle the situation John stepped out of the impala and walked around to the back passenger door in case he was needed.

Bobby sat rubbing Sammy's back for several minutes. Picking up the bear he handed it to the little boy along with the bag of clothes. "Hey, Sammy. How about we get your bear ready to go see Officer Pulliam? I figure we should put his police uniform on so he won't be scared. What do you think?" he asked as he took the clothes out of the bag.

Sammy clutched his bear tightly. He watched as Dean took the boots off his bear. "NO!" Sammy shouted. "Rex doesn't want be a policeman! He's a Winchester like us!" Leaning back against Bobby he whispered, "Rex just wants to go home. Can we go home now?"

"We'll go home soon, Sammy. But we have to help Officer Pulliam first." John said as he knelt beside the open door. "He needs our help to put the bad guys in jail. We'll go home right after we talk to him, okay? Do you think Rex can be brave long enough to talk to the officer?"

Sammy glanced from Rex as if he had all the answers. Putting his hand beside the bear's head he whispered a question in its ear. Once Rex "whispered" his answer back, Sammy stared up at John. "Rex says he'll try, daddy. He wants you to promise that you'll stay with him." Sam mumbled.

John leaned into the car and looked right at the stuffed bear. "Rex, I promise we'll stay right beside you the whole time." he said smirking at Dean as he rolled his eyes at his father. John stood back up and took Sam from Bobby before heading toward the station. It was going to be a long afternoon.

Mrs. Pool concentrated on her list of school jobs. She needed a school position that would give her access to Joey. She'd already crossed principal and vice-principal off her list. They didn't get substitutes for those. A cafeteria worker and a teacher would get her close to her son but they wouldn't be alone. Looking over the remaining jobs Mrs. Pool began to get discouraged. She needed a way to get Joey alone so she could bring him back home without any interference. Scanning the list a job in the middle caught her eye. She would have a room to herself and could get her son to come to her by himself. Snatching up the phone she quickly dialed the school's number. She needed some information.

Officer Pulliam led the Winchesters to a door in the middle of the station. "Alright, first we need Sammy to identify the men who took him from the zoo. Normally we don't allow other people in the room for a line up but since Sammy's a minor, you can go with him John. Dean and Bobby will have to wait out here for us. Once we're through here we'll go to another room to take Sammy's statement and then you gentlemen can enjoy the rest of your day." he told them. "Do you have any questions before we start?"

Dean listened intently to the officer becoming angry when he heard that he wouldn't be allowed in the room with his brother. When Officer Pulliam finished speaking, Dean immediately piped up, "I've got a question. Why can't I go with Sammy?"

"There's a good reason for that, Dean. They don't allow other people in the room so the criminals can't say that someone influenced them or told them who to pick." Officer Pulliam explained. "Any more questions? No? Then let's get on with it." He said as he opened the door. He held the door for John and Sammy before going inside.

Sammy stared around the small room. There was a large glass window on one wall and not much else. Leaning against his daddy's chest he timidly asked, "Where are the bad guys? Are they going to get me again?"

"No, Sammy. They're not going to bother you ever again." Officer Pulliam told him. "See that window over there? That shows us what's in the next room. In a minute, they'll bring five men into that room for you to look at. You don't have to be afraid. We can see them, but they can't see us. Okay?"

Sammy and Rex "whispered" back and forth for a moment before Sammy nodded his head. "What do I have to do?" he whispered.

"The men will be wearing a number. All I need you to do is tell me the number of the men who took you from the zoo. That's it." the officer informed him. "That reminds me. I have a question for you before we start. Do you know your numbers to five, Sammy?"

Sammy rolled his eyes at the officer. _"What does he think I am?_ _Two?"_ Sam thought. Out loud he stated, "I know my numbers to a hundred, already. Dean says I'm super good in math."

"Great. Let's start then." Officer Pulliam said. He walked over to the wall and spoke into the intercom. The light came on in the next room and the first group of prisoners walked into their line of sight.

Sammy watched as a policeman led five men into the room behind the window. He saw the officer line the men up by the wall and order them to turn and face the front of the room. He gazed down the row of men stopping on the face that had been haunting his nightmares. His eyes went wide as he recognized Jade. Sammy immediately buried his face in John's chest and started trembling.

John regretted bringing Sammy to the station as soon as he saw and felt his baby's reaction to seeing one of the kidnappers. Turning away from the window John started slowly rocking Sam while whispering reassurances to him. It didn't help. Knowing he needed to get his son out of the room quickly John decided to try a different tactic. Turning back around he reached down, tilted Sam's chin up said, "Look at me, Sammy. I need you to tell Officer Pulliam the number of the man that took you. C'mon, you and Rex can do this. Tell us his number and Officer Pulliam will make him go away."

Sammy hesitantly glanced over at the men in the other room before whispering, "Four. Jade's wearing a four."

"Good boy, Sammy." John praised as he hugged his baby. He watched as the men left the room wishing he could have a few moments alone with Jade.

The next three groups came and went with Sammy quickly pointing out his kidnappers. Soon they were back in the hallway with Dean and Bobby headed for yet another room. The new room was decorated more like a children's playroom. There was a small table and chairs, paper, crayons, and even toys. Officer Hilton came in to interview Sam. She gave him paper and crayons and let him draw while they talked about the kidnapping. She brought a picture card of the accused men and had Sam point out which man had done certain things. Things were going smoothly until she asked who had hit him. Sammy dropped the crayon he was using and threw himself into Dean's lap. Officer Hilton watched as Dean swiftly calmed his brother down before asking for the picture card. Still hanging onto his brother Sammy peeked at the card and mumbled that the last man did it. Thirty minutes later the statement was over. Officer Hilton thanked Sammy for helping her and led them out of the room and the station.

Mrs. Pool waited as her call was transferred to the nurse's office. Hearing Nurse Gladdin answer she began her quest for information. "Yes, this is Mrs. Richards. My family is planning to move to your community and I'm checking out the schools in the area. Yes, I'm pleased with what I've heard so far. I wanted to ask about your office. My son has asthma and has to have a breathing treatment daily. Would you be the only one to administer that or are there other nurses besides you? Just you? Good. How do you remember which child comes at what time? Oh, a wall schedule. What a great idea. What happens when you're ill? Is there a certain substitute? You call your own substitute? I must say I'm impressed! You seem to have everything under control. I'll definitely be stopping by soon to take that tour. Thank you for answering my questions. Good day." Mrs. Pool snatched her keys and pocketbook and hurried out the front door. She had supplies to pick up before she drove to school and followed a certain nurse home.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- Mrs. Pool snatched her keys and pocketbook and hurried out the front door. She had supplies to pick up before she drove to school and followed a certain nurse home.

John sat back in his lawn chair enjoying the sights and sounds coming from the dirt pit in the yard. As soon as they'd arrived home, Bobby had taken the boys out to play in the backyard. They had started out playing ball but now they were busy building a dirt town complete with roads and what looked like a castle. John grinned as he watched his boys and Bobby digging in the dirt. He didn't know who was dirtier; the boys or Bobby. His grin morphed into a mega watt smile as he turned his attention to his baby boy. The trip to the police station had caused Sammy to withdraw again. He had been quiet all the way home. But it didn't last long. He'd started becoming out of his shell when they began their city and now he was in the middle of the action laughing right along with his brother. John was so enthralled by the scene that he almost didn't hear the doorbell. Not wanting to tear his eyes away from the festivities he hollered, "We're in the backyard!" John noticed his mistake immediately. His youngest had stopped playing and thrown himself into his brother's side upon hearing that someone was here. John mentally kicked himself for scaring his son once again.

Sammy was happily building a huge dirt castle for Rex when he heard his father yell. "Someone's coming!" Sammy thought. Dropping his shovel Sammy attached himself to his big brother's side. He held onto Dean as tightly as he could determined not to let anyone take him away from his family again. Hearing familiar voices Sammy glanced over at his dad and their guests. "It's just Mrs. Sheppard and Mr. Bonner. They wouldn't hurt me." he thought as his grip on Dean's shirt started to loosen. Then a memory flashed through his mind. Mr. Smith had hurt his daddy and Uncle Bobby and he was supposed to be a friend. Not knowing how to tell friends from enemies anymore Sammy strengthened his grip on Dean's shirt. He didn't let go until he saw his daddy and the visitors go inside the house to talk.

Mrs. Pool couldn't believe her good fortune! She had been able to get all her supplies and still be on time to follow a certain school employee home. After discretely following the nurse's car for about thirty minutes, she had watched as the nurse pulled into the driveway of a small house and walked inside. Mrs. Pool carefully surveyed the area. The house was in the country. There were no other houses in sight. "This is going to be easier than I thought." she said as she quickly took the items she would need out of her bag. Several minutes later she stepped out of the car and confidently strolled to Nurse Gladdin's door. Knocking on the door she patiently waited for the nurse to answer.

Nurse Gladdin gazed out the side window. A strange woman was standing at the door. Not seeing a car she looked toward the road and noticed a car parked in the grass. "Must be having car trouble" the nurse thought as she opened the door to talk with the rather haggard looking lady. "Hi, can I help you with something?" she asked.

Mrs. Pool put on her brightest smile and answered, "I hope so. I'm afraid my car has broken down. Could I use your phone to call a tow truck?"

"Don't you have a cell phone?" Nurse Gladdin questioned.

"Oh, no my dear" Mrs. Pool replied sweetly. "I'm no good with those new- fangled devices. I'm too old to learn how to work those things."

"I know what you mean. It took me forever to learn how to use mine. Come on in. The phone's in the kitchen." Nurse Gladdin told her as she held the door open. The nurse closed and locked the door behind her visitor unaware of the danger she was currently in.

John set glasses of lemonade in front of Mrs. Sheppard and Mr. Bonner before taking a seat across the table from them. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I needed to give you a heads up before the boys came back to school. You saw Sammy's reaction to you?" At their nods he continued, "That's one of the problems we're having. He's afraid of someone taking him again. He's gotten better but he's still having a hard time. You might want to limit the number of strangers that come into the room for awhile. I'm not sure he'll even want to leave the room to go to P.E. or music at first."

"Don't worry, Mr. Winchester. I'll be very careful with Sammy. I'll make sure I stay close to him until he feels safe again." Mrs. Sheppard assured him.

"I know you will and I appreciate it." John said. "But there's another problem. A woman named Mrs. Pool saw the boys' pictures on the news. Her son was kidnapped five years ago when he was three and she's gotten it into her head that Sammy is her son. She even went to the police with her story. Luckily the photo she showed the officers had the date on it so they don't believe her. But that hasn't stopped her. She's already tried to take him once and I'm positive she'll try again. Bobby managed to find an old newspaper clipping of the kidnapping with her picture." he said as he handed the picture to Mr. Bonner. "If she shows up at the school, call me and then the police. Sammy's having enough problems without her making it worse."

Mr. Bonner looked at the clipping and handed it to Mrs. Sheppard. "I'll let all my teachers and staff know to be on the lookout for her. She won't get anywhere near Sammy" he promised. "John you said Sammy was afraid of being around strangers now? I know something that might just help him with that and it's a lot of fun. A karate class meets every Wednesday night at 6:30 in the school gym. The instructor, Mr. Latimore, is a great teacher and he's really good with kids. He even lets people take one class free to see if they would enjoy it. Why don't you take the boys and let them try it tonight. I know Dean would love it. And it might help Sammy's confidence if he learns how to defend himself. How about it?"

"Karate, huh?" John asked. "Guess it couldn't hurt. I'll take the boys tonight and see how it goes."

"Great! I'll tell Mr. Latimore to expect you and I'll let him know about Sam's situation." Mr. Bonner announced as he stood up. "And before you say it parents are encouraged to stay and watch the class. You can even take with the boys."

"I think I'll stick to watching the boys. The last thing I need is Dean showing up his old man." John joked shaking the principal's hand and walking them to the door. "Thanks for all your help."

Mrs. Pool stared at her captive. It had been incredibly easy to knock the nurse out and tie her up. Bringing the phone over Mrs. Pool growled, "Now remember what I told you. Tell the principal you're sick and you've called a substitute just like you always do. If you try to warn him in any way, I'll kill you slowly." Dialing Mr. Bonner's home number, Mrs. Pool held the receiver to Nurse Gladdin's ear. She was pleased to hear the nurse leave a short message just like she was told. "Very good, dear." she cooed, "Now I'm afraid I must go home for awhile. After all I have to look my best for my new job. I'll check on you in the morning." Leaving the basement Mrs. Pool added to herself, "If all goes well, Joey will be back home by this weekend."

Sammy stood between his daddy and Uncle Bobby as they talked with Mr. Latimore. Sam looked up at the man. He was tall, taller than daddy even and he was wearing a funny looking white jacket like all the kids. Sam wondered if he would have to wear a white jacket, too. He glanced over at Dean to see what he thought and was surprised to see Dean bouncing up and down with excitement. He didn't remember seeing Dean this excited since his class had the car races. Hearing his name Sammy looked up in time to see Mr. Latimore squat down in front of him.

"Hi there, Sammy. I'm Mr. Latimore." the instructor said. "Your daddy said you had some trouble lately. I'm sorry that happened to you but I think I can help. I can teach you how to defend yourself from the bad guys. Would you like that?" Seeing the small boy hesitate he added, "It's alright. Your daddy and uncle can stay right here and watch. If you don't like it, you can come back over here with them and wait for your brother, okay?"

Sammy thought for a while. He wanted to learn all that stuff but he wasn't sure he could trust Mr. Latimore. What if he was a bad guy like Mr. Smith? Still, Dean wanted to learn karate and daddy and Uncle Bobby would be right there the whole time. And the other children looked like they were having fun. Making his decision, Sammy peeked up at Mr. Latimore and whispered, "Okay" Sammy took Dean's hand as Mr. Latimore led them over to the others to begin class.

Mr. Latimore called the class to order. The students scrambled to make two straight lines. Once everyone was standing at attention Mr. Latimore introduced Dean and Sammy and told them where to stand. He put the class through a tough warm up session and then called for them to assume fighting stance. He walked over to Dean and Sammy and showed them how to step back into the stance. He then called out various kicks and punches standing right beside the boys and helping them learn each one. After several minutes of punching and kicking, he broke the class into groups by their ranks to practice their forms. Mr. Latimore worked with Dean, Sammy, and all the white belts on their first form. They went through it step by step several times with Mr. Latimore correcting stances. By the time he told them to go through the form on their own time, Sammy had it down pat. Forms soon led to kicking and punching a bag and then they sat down to watch the higher belts practice breaking boards. Afterwards, Mr. Latimore dismissed class and walked the boys back over to their daddy.

Sammy raced over to his daddy. "Daddy, daddy, did you see me?" he shouted.

"I sure did, champ. You and Dean were super!" John praised as he ruffled Sammy's hair. "So what do you think? Do you want to come back next week?"

Sammy's smiling turned into a frown. "We haveta go? But I don't wanna go! I'm having fun!" he whined.

Bobby smirked at Sammy's reaction. The class had done Sam a world of good. "Guess we've got the old Sammy back, huh John?" he laughed.

John gave Bobby a one fingered salute before turning and thanking Mr. Latimore. Scooping up Sammy he said, "Yes, we have to go now, Sammy. We need to go eat supper. But we'll get uniforms for you and Dean and come back next week."

"Awesome!" both boys yelled as they headed to the door. "Can we go to that new restaurant that Uncle Bobby was talking about? Please, daddy?" they begged.

"Sure guys" John said with a mischievous wink at Dean. "Uncle Bobby's been dying to play in that new play place with you. Haven't you, Bobby?"

"Yeah, sure" Bobby replied glaring at John. Catching up to his friend he whispered, "Of course you know, this means war."

"Bring it on" John challenged as he unlocked the impala and settled the boys inside.

Mrs. Pool sat at her vanity and went over her plan one more time. She would spend the first few days getting the lay of the school and learning the students and staff. She would be the model employee and nurse. She would let everyone settle into a routine and then she would strike. She would get her son back and she'd take him where Mr. Winchester and his cronies couldn't find them. She had no doubt that Winchester had the principal in his pocket. He'd probably already been informed about her. Maybe even had a picture of her. But that wouldn't help. They would be watching for a woman with short brown hair, green eyes, and glasses. Putting on her new wig she stared at herself in the mirror. "No one will be looking for a lady with long red hair, brown eyes, and no glasses" she told her reflection. "Joey is as good as mine."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- Putting on her new wig she stared at herself in the mirror. "No one will be looking for a lady with long red hair, brown eyes, and no glasses" she told her reflection. "Joey is as good as mine."

John slowly drank his coffee to give his boys and Uncle Bobby more time to enjoy the play place. He laughed at the sight of the older man running on and around equipment that had been built for much smaller bodies. He knew he might end up paying big time for this prank but he was determined to be vigilant and not let Bobby pull on over on him again. After Bobby's last prank war ending stunt, John had been unable to set foot outside the motel without getting gawked at and whispered about by the people of the small town. Bobby was good, John would give him that. But he was going to win this round. Glancing at his watch he decided to give the boys five more minutes before he called them in to go. He threw out the trash from supper and walked into the restroom confident that the boys were safe with Bobby.

Bobby sat down at one of the small tables beside the restaurant. "You guys go ahead and play. I need to take a breather." he called to the boys. Bobby watched as the two youngest Winchesters raced up to the top of the tower and slid quickly down the slide before running up to the slide again. He knew two kids who would be sleeping well tonight. Settling back he watched the boys play as he tried to devise a plan to pay John back. He had won the last two prank wars and he fully intended to win this one, too. He sat thinking of all the pranks he had left in his arsenal and contemplating which one would be the most effective starting prank. Sammy's scream startled Bobby out of his musings. He dashed toward the little boy wondering when the Winchesters would get the break they so desperately needed.

Sammy was having the best time playing on all the equipment. Uncle Bobby was right. This place was awesome! Sammy chased Dean up to the top tower. He paused at the top to look down at the restaurant. He could see his daddy sitting in the booth drinking coffee. Waving he turned and slid down the big twisty slide. Jumping off the end he set off to the top with Dean again. Sammy ran up and down the equipment several times with Dean stopping each time to wave at Uncle Bobby and daddy. Next they went to the monkey bars and competed to see who could go the farthest before they dropped. Sammy won by making it all the way across the bars without falling. Smiling Sammy looked to the big window. The smile slid off his face as he noticed that their booth was empty. His eyes quickly searched the rest of the restaurant looking for any sign of John but his daddy was gone! Suddenly frightened Sammy started running toward the building screaming for his father. Just as he reached the tables he felt two strong arms grab his shoulders. Acting on instinct Sammy kicked out as hard as he could smiling at the pained yelp. Feeling the arms loosen their hold he was about to head for the building again when he heard Dean yelling for him to stop. Sammy turned around and found himself being pulled into his brother's side. Safe once again Sammy stared up at Dean with a small smile before turning to see; Uncle Bobby on the ground in front of him?

Dean was having a blast! His whole family had spent the day together playing and just being a normal family. And his dad had even let him and Sammy take karate. He hadn't seen Sammy this happy in a long time and he was determined to make sure his little brother stayed that way. Deliberately dropping off the bars halfway to the end Dean watched with pride as his baby brother quickly went all the way across. He was walking over to tell Sammy "great job" when he heard Sam scream and saw him take off running. Dean started after him calling his name. He watched as Bobby ran up and grabbed Sam to try and calm him down. Dean was stunned when Sammy immediately kicked Bobby in a very private place. Racing up behind his brother he yelled for Sammy to stop thankful when his little brother did just that. Seeing the fearful expression on Sam's face Dean pulled his brother to his side and started rubbing his back. Hearing the choice words coming from Bobby Dean quickly covered Sammy's ears. "Getting a little slow there in your old age, aren't you Bobby?" he quipped as he smirked at the old man on the ground.

John walked out onto the play place and stopped short. He took in the scene for a minute and then walked over to see what in the world was going on. Just as he made it to the others he was thrown backwards a step as a small body collided with him. Reaching down he picked up his youngest concerned by boy's trembling. "What's the matter, sport? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"Where were you, daddy? I looked and you were gone and I couldn't find you and I was scared and then Uncle Bobby grabbed me and I accidentally kicked him and then Dean came and then you came." Sammy rushed out before leaning into his daddy's embrace.

It took John a moment to process Sam's instant replay of the events before it hit him. He'd managed to scare his baby again! Kicking himself he held Sammy close as he explained to his youngest that he had just gone to the bathroom. He promised Sam that he would let them know where he was going from now on. With Sam content he turned his attention to Bobby who was sitting at one of the tables looking like he had just tangled with a black dog. "Need some help there, Bobby? Guess you have a new enemy to write down in that journal of yours; five year old boys." he called out attempting and failing to hide his grin.

"Laugh it up Winchester!" Bobby huffed out as he stood, "Your time is coming!" Seeing his family laughing Bobby couldn't help but join in. The small family made their way to the impala laughing secure in the knowledge that their youngest member could definitely take care of himself.

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AN- Sorry it's so short but that seemed like a good place to end it.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- The small family made their way to the impala laughing secure in the knowledge that their youngest member could definitely take care of himself.

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The next morning the Winchesters woke up early to begin their day. After taking showers and getting dressed, Dean and Sam headed for the kitchen where John had bowls of Lucky Charms waiting for them. Both boys dug into their breakfast talking and laughing between bites. Things were going smoothly until John opened his mouth. "Hurry and finish, guys. We need to hit the road if we're going to make it to school on time."

The kitchen was silent for all of two seconds before Sammy jumped out of his chair and yelled, "NO! I don't wanna go!"

Determined to stop the tantrum that he knew was brewing John fixed his youngest with a stern glare and barked, "Samuel Winchester stop yelling and sit down in that chair this minute! Or do you need a reminder about what happens to little boys who pitch fits?" John watched as Sammy quickly parked his behind back in his chair still scowling. "That's better. Now you are going to get your things and we're going to school. Understand?"

"But daddy, what if a bad man tries to take me again?" Sammy asked.

John smiled at his son and replied, "You'll be safe at school. Bad men can't get in the school."

Sammy shook his head. "But Mr. Smith came in the school and he was a bad man."

Running a hand through his hair John ignored the hushed snickers coming from Dean and Bobby and tried a slightly different approach. "I've already talked to Mr. Bonner and Mrs. Sheppard. They're going to make sure no one comes into the school to get you." he assured Sam.

Sammy sat for a minute playing with the hem of his shirt and thinking things over before asking, "But what if Mrs. Sheppard or Mr. Bonner are bad and they take me?"

John stared at his baby boy wondering where he got his ideas. "Mr. Bonner and Mrs. Sheppard aren't bad, Sammy. You've known them since school started. They're not going to try to take you away."

Not missing a beat Sammy countered, "But Mr. Smith's been in my room since school started and he tried to take me away from you."

Growing frustrated John growled, "Samuel!"

Dean watched the argument with amusement. His brother was only five and he was already able to argue with their dad and win. He wondered if there was a job where people argued for a living. He'd have to ask Mrs. Bridges about it 'cause Sammy would be perfect for a job like that. Dean's train of thought halted when he noticed that his father was starting to get angry at his little brother. Dean decided he better step in before something happened that they'd all regret. He quickly piped up interrupting his father. "I've got this one, dad." Turning to his little brother he said, "Sammy, there's a rule that says all kids have to go to school. You don't want to break the rules and get in trouble, do you?"

"But Dean we didn't go to school yesterday and we didn't get in no trouble." Sammy pointed out.

"You're right, kiddo. It was okay to stay home yesterday because we had to go talk to Officer Pulliam and your ankle was still hurt. But you're fine now so we have to go back. And remember what you did to Bobby last night? If you can knock Bobby down, nobody stands a chance against you." Dean praised.

Sammy glanced at each of his family members before returning his gaze to his dad. "Okay, I'll go." he whispered sadly. Sammy slid out of his chair and slowly walked out of the kitchen with Dean close behind.

"Maybe you should stay with him for awhile, Johnny." Bobby commented once the boys were out of the room.

"He'll be fine, Bobby." John told his friend.

"What about Mrs. Sheppard and Mr. Bonner and all the other teachers? Do you really want one of them to meet "Low Blow" Sammy if something scares him?" Bobby countered.

"Good point" John replied as he headed to the living room where the boys were waiting. "Come on boys. Looks like all three of us have school this morning."

Bobby watched the small family climb into the impala and drive away in a cloud of dust. When the car was out of sight, he walked back to the kitchen to clean up hoping that Sammy had a good first day back.

Mrs. Pool sat in her customary hiding place waiting and watching for the black car containing her son. She squealed with delight when she saw it pass her and pull into the school's parking lot. It was all she could do to keep from rushing up to the car and grabbing Joey. She glared at Mr. Winchester as he marched her son and that other boy into the building. He might have everyone else fooled, but she knew what he really was: a kidnapper. She briefly wondered if the older boy had been taken, too. She figured he belonged to Winchester since he acted just like him. Blowing out a frustrated breathe she waited impatiently for her son's kidnapper to leave the school. The minutes passed slowly with cars and buses going in and out of the front lot. After ten minutes of watching with no sign of the man, Mrs. Pool decided he must be staying to eat breakfast with Joey. "No matter, he can't stay with Joey all day." she thought as she turned the key in the ignition and drove her own car into the parking lot. Smiling she made her way into the building confident that she would get her son back soon.

Sammy spent the morning building a block city with his two best friends, Nolan and Christian. Occasionally he would glance over his shoulder checking to make sure his daddy was still there. Sammy would smile at his dad before turning back around to build more of the city. The boys had just finished their construction when Mrs. Sheppard announced that it was time to clean up. Groaning they quickly gathered up the blocks and threw them back into their crates. Sammy walked to his desk with his dad in tow. He giggled as John attempted to find a comfortable position in the tiny plastic chair.

Mrs. Sheppard's room grew quiet when the intercom came on. After saying the Pledge of Allegiance and observing a moment of silence, the children waited for what they knew was coming next.

"Okay, girls listen up. It's time to draw the name of our Princess for the Day. If I call your name, please come to the office to get your royal accessories. And the princess is. . . Oh, dear this is unusual" Mrs. Donna exclaimed. "Our princess today is John Winchester? Umm, John if you'll come by the office, we'll get you set for the day."

"Daddy, you're the princess!" Sammy giggled. The other boys joined in laughing at one of the dads being a princess.

The girls, on the other hand, were not amused. "Mrs. Sheppard, he can't be the princess! He's not a girl!" Destiny whined.

"Yeah, and he's not a kid. Only kids get to be the princess." Leah added.

Mrs. Sheppard took a few minutes to compose herself before answering. "Sorry, girls. You know the rules. Mrs. Donna only draws one name and that girl, I mean, person is the prince. . ess." she got out between chuckles. "Sammy, why don't you take your dad to the office to get his accessories." she added not bothering to hide her grin.

John was having a nightmare. That was the only explanation for what was happening. There was no way Mrs. Donna had just said his name and princess in the same sentence. None. He quickly pinched his arm to wake up but the scene didn't change. He was still in his son's kindergarten classroom with all the kids staring and laughing at him. Thinking Mrs. Sheppard would help him out John struggled out of the too small chair and stood. He was stunned when he heard her instructions to Sammy. He felt Sam grab his hand and drag him to the door. Quickly forming another plan John let Sammy led him up the hall and toward the office. Surely Mr. Bonner would help him out.

Mrs. Donna, Mrs. Pam, and Mr. Bonner quickly erased all signs of laughter from their faces as Sammy and John trudged into the office. Snatching the princess box off the floor Mrs. Donna placed it on the counter and said, "Sorry about this Mr. Winchester. I don't know how your name got in there. Here, let me help you with your accessories."

John stared in disbelief as the secretary pulled a tiara, a huge jeweled necklace, earrings, and pink ribbon with the words "PRETTY PRINCESS" on it. "You can't be serious." he told her pointing to the items. "You don't really expect me to wear that."

John looked down when he felt a small tug on his hand. "What is it, kiddo?"

Sammy stared wide-eyed at his father. "Daddy, you have to. It's the rule and you and Dean always tell me you can't break the rules or you'll get in trouble. You ain't gonna break the rules, are you daddy?"

"_Shit, leave it to Sammy to turn the tables on me. He'd make a good lawyer."_ John thought as he knelt down. "No, Sammy. I'm not going to break the rules. Daddy will be the (gulp) princess." he said. Standing up he glared at Mrs. Donna and growled, "Okay, help me get this mess on." Once he was decked out in his princess gear, he started to leave. Hearing Mr. Bonner's voice John turned and was blinded by the flash of a light.

Mr. Bonner watched John put on the tiara, earrings, and necklace. _"He's got guts."_ Mr. Bonner thought when he saw Mrs. Donna fasten the ribbon around John's shoulder like a Miss America contestant. Seeing the man turn to leave he remembered his part in the charade. "Mr. Winchester!" he called. As soon as John turned around, Mr. Bonner snapped a photo of him. "Mr. Singer said to tell you "Payback's a. . ." well you know the rest." he stated smiling down at Sammy.

John left the office and walked back to Sammy's room with one thought in mind: He was so going to get Bobby for this!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- John left the office and walked back to Sammy's room with one thought in mind: He was so going to get Bobby for this!

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Dean Winchester was having an awesome day! After having his favorite cereal for breakfast, he had gotten to school early enough to finish his morning work and talk to his buddies before clean-up time. And then the intercom had announced that his dad, the big bad hunter, was the Princess! This he had to see. Raising his hand Dean waited for Mrs. Bridges to stop laughing. After several minutes, he finally called out, "Mrs. Bridges is it okay if I go to the office to, umm, help my dad out?" Seeing her nod her head and wave he leaped out of his desk and raced to the door. Dean turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Mrs. Bridges burst out laughing as John's name was read. She tried desperately to get herself under control but the mental image of Mr. Winchester dressed as a princess was just too much! Hearing Dean's question she could only nod and wave at him. Wiping away the tears Mrs. Bridges suddenly remembered something. Grabbing an item from her desk she dashed over to Dean right before he walked out the door. "Here Dean, this is definitely a Kodak moment!" she chuckled as she handed him the small camera. Watching him head up the hall she came to the conclusion that her class needed a little exercise today. She decided that they would walk the halls at recess, starting of course on Kindergarten hall.

Dean caught his father and brother coming out of the office. Stifling a laugh he walked up to his family grinning from ear to ear. "Nice duds, dude. I mean Your Highness." he said making a show of bowing.

"Knock it off, Dean unless you want your name to be drawn next." John hissed.

"Ahh, come on dad. You've gotta admit it's a little funny." Dean countered. "Oh and by the way, Mrs. Bridges said to tell you to say cheese."

"Cheese? Why would she say. . ." The rest of John's question was cut off as a bright flash blinded him for the second time that morning. Rubbing his eyes to get rid of the light show from the flash John thought of something important. "Dean, how did Bobby know about the princess thing? You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?" he questioned already knowing the answer.

"Me? Ummm, no way dad. I wouldn't sell you out like that." Dean stammered as he stared down at his shoes.

"Dean" John growled out.

"Okay, I told him about it." Dean confessed. "But I had to. Bobby promised to get a Nintendo for Sammy and me to play with at his house if I told him anything he could use for a prank."

John glared at his eldest. "So you sold me out for a game?"

"Not a game, dad. A Nintendo! It has a shooting game so I can practice hitting targets without worrying about accidentally shooting Sammy. And there's a bunch of other games that can keep Sammy busy so he won't cause any trouble for Uncle Bobby." Dean explained. "All in all I'd say it's a fair trade. Besides, I know you'll get him back good for this one. Right, dad?"

"Damn, I mean darn straight, Dean" John replied smiling at his son's logic. "You have any ideas on that?"

"I might have a few. Depends on what you're offering." Dean stated casually smirking at the stunned look on his father's face. "Just kidding, dad. I'll help you come up with a whopper. Bobby won't know what hit him."

"Thanks, Dean" John said ruffling his boy's hair. "Go on back to class now, and try to stay out of trouble. Looking down at Sammy he said, "C'mon sport, let's get back to your room before Mrs. Sheppard sends out a search party." John and Sammy watched Dean until he rounded the corner at the end of the hall before heading to the kindergarten hall.

Mrs. Pool was livid when she heard them announce Winchester's name over the intercom! That meant he was planning on spending the day with her son! She took a deep breath to calm herself down as she checked on a student having a breathing treatment. She'd just have to bide her time. Surely he didn't intend to spend the entire day at school especially not dressed as a princess. Mrs. Pool decided to keep a very close eye on Mrs. Sheppard's class today. She wanted to know the minute Winchester left.

John had had more than enough of being the princess for a day. Walking down the halls of the school and sitting in Sammy's room had been bad enough. But then Mrs. Donna had called the entire school to gym for the Pride Program and guess whose job it was to welcome the guests and introduce the classes presenting the program. He didn't know which was worse; the kids and teachers laughing or the disapproving and disgusted looks of the parents at the program. And to top it all off it seemed that every class was in desperate need of exercise and had chosen to walk around kindergarten hall slowly to get said exercise. By recess he could no longer take it. After talking with Sammy and his friends, John stepped up to Mrs. Sheppard's desk to let her know. "Mrs. Sheppard, I think I'm going to head out. Sammy's fine now that he's with his friends and I have a few things I need to do before I come back to get the boys." he told her.

Mrs. Sheppard smiled as she listened to John's speech. "That's fine, John." she said. "Actually I'm surprised you lasted this long. Thanks for being the princess. I don't know many fathers or mothers for that matter who would have gone through with this. But you handled it wonderfully and taught the students a lesson they won't soon forget." Helping John out of the "princess gear" she was surprised to hear one of the girls holler at John.

Destiny was stunned when she heard Mr. Winchester tell Mrs. Sheppard he was leaving. Marching up to the teacher's desk, she yanked on one of John's hands to get his attention. When he glanced down at her, she yelled, "Mr. Winchester! You can't leave now, you're the princess!"

John stared down at the little girl unsure what to tell her. There was no way he was staying to be the princess. Thinking fast he hit upon the perfect idea. "Mrs. Sheppard is there anything in the rules that says I can't choose someone to take my place for the rest of the day?" he asked.

"No, there's not. I think that's a great idea, John!" Mrs. Sheppard exclaimed. "So do you have a successor in mind?"

John scratched his chin as he looked over the classroom. The first person to come to mind was Dean. After all he was the reason John was the princess today. But he quickly discarded the notion. He didn't think he could deal with two traumatized boys; one was more than enough. Gazing back over the room John's eyes landed on a quiet little girl sitting at Sammy's table. John recalled how Sam said the other girls treated the shy child. Smiling at her John announced, "The princess for the rest of the day is Tana." Walking over he placed the tiara on her head, bowed, and said, "I hereby name you Princess Tana." Winking at Mrs. Sheppard John hugged Sammy one last time before walking out of the classroom to recover from his morning.

Mrs. Pool almost jumped for joy when she saw her son's kidnapper getting into his car and leaving the school. A glance at the clock let her know that Joey's class would be outside having recess. Knowing she wouldn't have much time, Mrs. Pool quickly grabbed her supplies, locked the nurse's office door, and raced to kindergarten hall. Walking into Joey's classroom Mrs. Pool headed to the shelf at the back where the lunch boxes were sitting. She went down the row of boxes checking each one for her son's fake name. She finally found it on a battered old Transformers lunch box. Taking the box off the shelf she opened it and riffled through the contents. She removed the juice box setting it on a table before pulling a filled syringe out of her pocket. She carefully pushed the needle through the seam at the top of the box and pressed the plunger sending the contents into the juice. She then replaced the juice, closed the lunch box, and set it back on the shelf. She quietly snuck out of the room and back to her office to get ready for her son's visit.

Sammy, Christian, and Nolan sat at the royal lunch table with their class. They waited for the princess to say the blessing before opening their lunch boxes. Sammy could barely contain his excitement when he saw what Bobby had packed. Instead of the usual PB&J sandwich, a cookie, and money for milk, there was a ham and cheese sandwich, a bag of potato chips, and a juice box. Grabbing the grape juice Sam tore open the straw, pushed it into the box, and took a big sip. Sammy's mouth twisted into a grimace at the sour taste. Thinking the juice was old he thought about throwing it away and getting a milk. But he didn't get juice very often. Sammy stared longingly at the juice before coming to a decision. He shook the box to mix the juice well and then took another smaller sip. This time the juice was only a little sour. Content with the taste Sam continued to eat his lunch and talk with his friends.

Hearing the impala coming down the drive, Bobby set down his research and headed to the door. He couldn't wait to see his friend's face. "Hey, Johnny! How was your morning at school princess?" Bobby asked chuckling at the glare John sent his way.

Brushing past Bobby John walked into the house before answering his friend. "Laugh while you can old man. You time is coming." he ground out. "Now if you're through gloating, let's hear what you've found out about that case."

Bobby motioned to the papers covering the kitchen table. "I scoured old town records all morning while you were playing princess and I'm pretty sure it's just a simple salt and burn. Shouldn't take more than one night." he explained while John looked through the information.

"Alright. We'll take care of it this weekend if Sammy's okay with us leaving." John said. "Otherwise we'll have to take him with us and leave him in the car with Dean." Looking back at the papers littering the table he added, "Why don't you fill me in on everything you found?"

"_I knew I should have thrown the juice away and got a milk."_ Sammy thought as he threw up his lunch and everything else in his stomach. His whole body shook as he continued to gag even though there was nothing left to come up. After he was through, he sat for several minutes to make sure he was really finished. Then he got up from the floor and walked out of the bathroom where he was met by a very concerned Mrs. Sheppard.

"Sammy, are you alright?" she questioned as she placed the back of her hand on his forehead. Not feeling a fever she said, "Well you don't have a fever, but you're definitely sick. I'm going to have Christian and Nolan walk you to the nurse's office while I call your daddy. Okay?"

Sammy nodded his head and allowed himself to be led out the door. The three boys slowly made their way down the hall to the nurse's room. Opening the door Christian ran over to the desk, "Mrs. Gladdin, Mrs. Gladdin, Sammy's sick!" he called. Reaching the desk he suddenly stopped. "You're not Mrs. Gladdin." he said.

Mrs. Pool stood and walked around the desk kneeling next to the little boy. "Nurse Gladdin's at home sick, honey." she lied. "My name's Nurse Bonnie." Seeing Joey come in Mrs. Pool hurried to his side. "This must be Sammy." she said as she bent down. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Nolan stared at the nurse for a moment. She looked really familiar. Deciding she must have been in the school before he answered for his friend. "Sammy got sick after lunch. He puked and everything! Mrs. Sheppard told us to bring him to you. She's calling his daddy." he told her.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Pool exclaimed as she took the boys into the next room and helped Sammy lie down on one of the beds. "Thank you boys for bringing him to me. You two go on back to your class. I'll take good care of him until his daddy comes." she calmly said. She picked up a thermometer and placed it in Sam's mouth watching the other boys as they slowly made their way out of the room. Hearing the office door close she turned her full attention to Joey knowing she had to move fast for her plan to work. She smiled at him as she placed a damp cloth on his forehead and removed the thermometer. "Hmm, you have a little fever, honey." she fibbed. "But don't worry. I've got something that will fix you right up." Reaching over to a nearby table she picked up the aspirin and glass of water and handed them to Sammy. "Here you go. I want you to chew this up with a sip of water and then you can rest here for a while." She watched as he took the aspirin. Mrs. Pool bustled around the room wiping away her fingerprints while she waited for her son to fall asleep. By the time she had wiped the two rooms clean, Sammy was fast asleep. Mrs. Pool carefully picked the child up and carried him to the office door. After peeking out the door to make sure the coast was clear, she headed toward the nearest outside door with her prize.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- Mrs. Pool carefully picked the child up and carried him to the office door. After peeking out the door to make sure the coast was clear, she headed toward the nearest outside door with her prize.

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John and Bobby were in the middle of discussing strategies for their latest hunt when the phone rang. John exchanged worried looks with Bobby before snatching up the receiver. "Winchester. Mrs. Sheppard, what's wrong? Did something happen to Sammy? What? He was fine when I left. Where is he now? Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Bobby was on his feet and at the door as soon as he heard John's voice change from normal to upset. He listened intently to John's end of the conversation hoping to pick up a clue about what was wrong with the youngest Winchester. Gaining no useful information he waited as patiently as he could for his friend to finish the phone call and fill him in on the situation. As soon as John hung up the phone, Bobby started firing questions. "What's wrong with Sammy? Did he get hurt or did that witch find him? What's going on, John?"

John set the phone down and headed for the doorway. He had to get back to the school fast. Dashing to the impala he shouted answers to Bobby without slowing down. "Sammy got sick after lunch. He's in the nurse's office. I knew I shouldn't have left him there."

Climbing into the front Bobby stared at his friend. He couldn't believe John was blaming himself for this. _"What is it with Winchesters and guilt?" _he thought. Bracing himself as John tore out of the driveway Bobby decided he needed to calm his friend down now. "Slow down, Johnny!" he ordered. "I'd like to make it to the school in one piece." Bobby relaxed as John eased up on the gas pedal a little. "You don't have to drive like a bat outta hell. Sammy's just sick. He'll be alright. The nurse will take care of him until we get there."

"I know Bobby. But something doesn't feel right." John confessed. "Call it instinct or intuition or whatever you want. But I know something's really wrong. And I'm not talking about a stomachache."

Bobby sat back in the seat. He'd been around John long enough to know that he had a special bond with his boys. If he said something was wrong, Bobby wasn't about to argue. John had been right too many times in the past.

Mrs. Sheppard walked out of the office, started down kindergarten hall, and stopped. She had the funniest feeling that Sammy needed her. Changing directions she decided to check on Sammy before going back to her classroom. She walked the long hallway past the music and guidance rooms and turned the corner. Mrs. Sheppard stopped dead in her tracks stunned by the scene in front of her. There was a nurse she'd never seen carrying a sleeping Sammy toward the exit door. Breaking out of her shock she raced after the woman determined not to let her reach the door. Quickly catching up Mrs. Sheppard grabbed the nurse by the arm halting her advance. "Just who the hell are you and where do you think you're going with Sammy?" she growled.

Mrs. Pool had almost made it to safety when someone caught her by the arm. Spinning around she glared at the teacher holding her. Remembering her charade she quickly changed her expression and said with the lightest tone she could muster, "I'm the substitute nurse, Mrs. Bonnie. This child is very sick and I was on my way to take him to the hospital. I already talked with his father and Mr. Winchester said he would meet us there. So if you'll just let me go, I won't be forced to inform the principal of your behavior."

Mrs. Sheppard stood and listened to Nurse Bonnie's speech. She tightened her hold on the "nurse" when she heard her lie about talking with John. And the threat sealed the fate of the woman. Mrs. Sheppard didn't know who she was but she definitely wasn't a school nurse and there was no way she was taking Sammy anywhere. "You talked with John, huh? That's funny. I just got off the phone with him. Care to try your story again, lady?" she told the woman.

Mrs. Pool's sweet smile morphed into an evil scowl. "How dare you question me? My name is Mrs. Pool. I am this little boy's mother and I have every right to take him away from this school! He's mine! Not Winchesters! But mine! And his name's not Sammy, its Joey! Now unhand me or you'll regret it!" she threatened.

"Not gonna happen, witch!" Mrs. Sheppard shouted putting herself between Mrs. Pool and the door. "You want out, you're gonna have to go through me."

"Fine by me" Mrs. Pool fired back. She carefully laid Sammy on the floor next to the wall keeping a close eye on her opponent. Straightening back up she quickly shot out her fist aiming for Mrs. Sheppard's face.

Mrs. Sheppard grinned when she saw the bat put Sammy down. This was going to be fun! Assuming a fighting stance she waited for Mrs. Pool to make her move. She didn't have to wait long. Seeing the fist coming she easily blocked it and delivered a front kick to the witch's stomach.

Mrs. Pool staggered back a few steps. Leaning against the wall she took a second to get her breath back. With a scream of rage she rushed her enemy fists flying.

Mrs. Sheppard blocked the attempted punches with little effort. She allowed Mrs. Pool several tries before ending the "fight" with a jump front kick to the face. She watched as Mrs. Pool crumpled to the floor unconscious. Hearing cheering behind her Mrs. Sheppard turned around eyes widening as she noticed her audience.

Mrs. Bridges' class had been returning to their classroom from music when they'd encountered Mrs. Sheppard and the nurse locked in a fight. They watched in awe as the kindergarten teacher used karate moves to kick the nurse's behind. All the kids applauded and cheered the victor until one shouted word stopped the celebration midstream.

Dean cheered Mrs. Sheppard on as she battled the school nurse. He couldn't believe Sammy's teacher was a "karate kid". He elbowed his way to the front of the group trying to get a better view of the action. He saw Mrs. Sheppard deliver a kick that sent the nurse to the floor. As he watched the nurse fall his eyes caught another form lying a few feet away from the ruckus. Instantly recognizing Sammy Dean raced to his little brother hollering his name. Dropping beside Sammy he carefully picked his brother up. Drawing him to his chest he slowly began to rock back and forth.

Parking in the closest spot he could find John quickly turned off the impala and jumped out. He raced to the building with Bobby beside him. Once inside they dashed into the office for directions to the nurse's room. Seeing Mrs. Donna behind the desk John called out, "Mrs. Donna, Mrs. Sheppard called and said Sammy was in the nurse's office sick. Where is that?"

Mrs. Donna gave the men a small smile. She hated having to be the one to tell them the news. Taking a breath she began her task. "I'll take you there. Follow me." Walking out of the office and heading down the hall she said, "There's something you need to know. It seems Mrs. Pool managed to sneak into the school disguised as the nurse." Seeing John about to interrupt her she quickly added, "Its okay. She's didn't get Sammy out of the building." Seeing the men relax a little at that news she continued, "But an empty syringe was found in her pocket and Sammy was unconscious when she was caught. We've called for an ambulance and it should be here any minute. Coming to a halt in front of a door she said, "This is the nurse's office. Sammy and Dean are both in there with Mrs. Sheppard and Mr. Bonner. I'll send the paramedics as soon as they arrive. I'm so sorry about this, John."

John and Bobby stared at the door for a moment afraid of what was waiting for them on the other side. With a shaking hand John opened the door and walked inside to be with his boys.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- John and Bobby stared at the door for a moment afraid of what was waiting for them on the other side. With a shaking hand John opened the door and walked inside to be with his boys.

Thanks to everyone still reading. Sorry about the long wait. Hope this chapter makes up for it.

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Stepping into the nurse's office John quickly scanned the room eyes coming to rest on his sons. He quickly walked over to the small cot and sat on the edge. After verifying that his son had a strong pulse and was breathing fine, John carefully checked Sammy over for an injection site. Finding none he turned to the other adults in the room. "What happened here? How did she manage to get in the building and get Sammy?" he asked as he absentmindedly stroked his little boy's hair.

"We're not sure, John. Our regular nurse, Ms. Gladdin, called me last night. She said she was ill and was sending a replacement." Mr. Bonner told him. "Mrs. Pool must have gotten to her somehow. We tried to call her after Mrs. Pool was caught but Ms. Gladdin's not answering her phone. The police have men headed to her house. I just hope she's okay."

"That doesn't explain how Mrs. Pool got into the building." Bobby pointed out. "Why didn't anyone recognize her?"

"I can answer that one." Mrs. Sheppard called out. "When I saw her with Sammy, she looked nothing like her picture. Guess we didn't think about the witch changing her appearance.

"Mrs. Donna said an empty syringe was found. Do you know what was in it?" Bobby questioned.

"Do you even know for sure that she used it on Sammy?" John broke in. "He doesn't have any needle marks on him."

Mr. Bonner shook his head. "I'm afraid we don't know the answer to either question and Mrs. Pool hasn't regained consciousness yet."

"Unconscious?" John asked.

"Yeah, dad! Mrs. Sheppard knocked her out with one kick! You should've seen it! She was awesome!" Dean explained while mimicking Mrs. Sheppard's kicks.

All eyes turned to stare at Mrs. Sheppard who shifted from foot to foot. Uncomfortable with the attention she said, "What? Teaching's a dangerous job sometimes."

She was spared further comments as the door opened and Officer Pulliam stepped inside. "Just wanted to check on Sammy before I left with Mrs. Pool. How's he doing?" the officer asked.

"He's still out. What about Mrs. Pool? Is she awake? Did she say what she gave him?" John questioned.

"Sorry, Mr. Winchester. She came to a few minutes ago but she refuses to answer any questions. All she'll say is that she wants her son brought to her and all of you arrested for kidnapping. We'll keep trying but I don't think we're going to get anything out of her." Officer Pulliam told him.

John stood up as soon as he heard that the old bat was awake and refusing to help. He was halfway to the door before Bobby could stop him. "Let me go, Bobby." He growled.

"Can't do that Johnny", Bobby calmly said. "I know how you feel. I'd like a piece of her myself but now is not the time. Sammy needs you here."

John glanced back at his little boy. "You're right. Thanks Bobby" John said as he made his way to his son's side. The few minutes were a blur as the paramedics rushed in and took charge. After checking Sammy over, they loaded him on a gurney and raced out of the building to the waiting ambulance with John and company at their heels.

Dean and Bobby found themselves sitting in the hospital waiting room remembering another time they sat in the same room waiting for word on a hurt Sammy. They were both so lost in thought that neither one heard Mrs. Sheppard and Mrs. Bridges approach. They jumped a foot at Mrs. Sheppard's voice.

"Mr. Singer, have you heard anything yet?" Mrs. Sheppard asked smiling as at their reaction. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Don't worry about it. Guess we're a little on edge." Bobby stated.

"Can't blame you for that. It wasn't that long ago that we were here after Sammy got lost." Mrs. Bridges mentioned.

"I'm sure Sammy will be fine this time, too. He's a tough little guy." Mrs. Sheppard encouraged.

Sitting next to her student Mrs. Bridges decided to attempt to ease the tension. Recalling the sight of "Princess John" she smiled. "Mr. Singer I heard that you were responsible for Mr. Winchester being the princess. That was the best prank I've seen." She praised. "How did you come up with that one?"

"I bribed Dean with a Nintendo to get him to tell me about special events at school. When he told me about the princess thing, I knew I'd hit the jackpot. Then it was just a matter of talking Mr. Bonner and Mrs. Donna into it." Bobby boasted.

"That was a mean thing to do to a friend." Mrs. Sheppard scolded before busting out laughing. "Sorry. That has to be the funniest thing I've ever seen. You better watch your back. I'm sure he'll get his revenge after things calm down."

"Dad!" Dean hollered leaping up and racing over to his father and brother.

A very exhausted John Winchester trudged out of the emergency room carrying his younger son who was holding onto him for dear life. Seeing Dean race toward them John held out his free hand grabbed Dean's shoulder. "Hey, sport."

"John, is Sammy alright? What did they say?" Bobby questioned as he walked over to the small family.

John took a seat in one of the waiting room chairs and ran a trembling hand through his hair. "The doctors think so. He woke up in the ambulance and freaked out. I had to hold him while the doctors did a thorough exam and some blood tests. The tests showed no signs of drugs in his system except for aspirin. They wanted to keep him overnight for observation just to be sure but I refused. He's been through enough for one day. I don't think either one of us could handle a hospital stay." He explained.

"He'll be fine Johnny. Let's get him home so we can all relax and forget about today." Bobby suggested.

John stood back up, took Dean by the hand, and headed to the emergency room doors. Home schooling was looking better and better.

AN- Sorry its so short. That seemed like a good place to leave it. Only one more chapter to go. By the way, as you can probably tell, I have absolutely no medical knowledge.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer- Supernatural and all its characters belong to the CW and Kripke.

Previously on Supernatural- John stood back up, took Dean by the hand, and headed to the emergency room doors. Home schooling was looking better and better.

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John and Bobby sat on the couch watching Dean and Sammy racing their cars around the obstacle course they had made on the floor. The two boys giggled as they drove their cars under book tunnels and over the book bag mountain. The cars tumbled down the mountain and around the bend only to screech to a halt at a boot wall. Looking up both boys saw their dad smiling down at them. "Bath time, guys." He said.

"Awwww, do we haveta? We're in the middle of a race!" Sammy whined poking out his bottom lip.

"Sorry, kiddo. You'll have to finish the race tomorrow." John told him. "If you hurry, I might have time to read you a story before you go to bed."

"No, David?" Sammy asked excitedly.

"Not that one again!" Dean groaned. "C'mon Sammy! You've got a ton of books in our room. Pick a different one already."

"Dean" John said. "We'll read "No David!" if that's the one Sammy wants and then you can pick the story tomorrow night. Alright?"

"Cool! Thanks, dad!" Dean shouted. "And I know the perfect story, too."

"Nothing scary Dean", John warned. "I'm not sitting up all night with Sammy."

"Aww man." Dean muttered as he headed to the bathroom. "That su. . . I mean stinks."

Laughing John watched his boys trudge down the hall and disappear into the bathroom. Sitting back down on the couch he scrubbed a hand across his face letting his mask fall now that his children were out of the room. "Today was too close, Bobby." John said quietly. "I almost lost my baby boy."

Bobby stared at his friend sympathetically. He agreed wholeheartedly but that wasn't what John needed to hear right now. "But you didn't Johnny. Sammy's here and he's fine. He doesn't even remember Mrs. Pool trying to take him." Bobby reminded.

"I know. But it shouldn't have happened in the first place. If I'd stayed with him, that witch wouldn't have been able to get him." John ground out.

Bobby scowled. He grabbed onto the couch tightly to resist the sudden urge to smack some sense into his old friend. "Dammit, Johnny! Listen up 'cause I'm only gonna say this once. This was not your fault, you idgit! Mrs. Pool is responsible for this mess. If you'd stayed at school today, she would have just waited until tomorrow or the next day. She wasn't going to give up. You know that. Quit beating yourself up over something you had no control over and move on. Pool's in custody, Sammy's fine, he's no longer in danger." Bobby growled. Smirking he added, "And I won the prank war just like last time."

"Keep thinking that, old man. I haven't lost yet." John threatened smiling. "I'm just waiting for the perfect time to spring my trap." Hearing Sammy's yell of "we're ready, daddy!" John got up and started for the boys' bedroom. "Thanks, Bobby." He said.

The next morning found the Winchesters and Bobby sitting around the table eating breakfast. John had stayed up all night watching Sammy sleep to make sure his baby boy was alright. Sammy had had a blessedly quiet night, and John decided that whatever the witch had done to Sam hadn't hurt him. He was just as rambunctious as ever, talking nonstop while eating his cereal. Sitting back John smiled as he listened to his little one's chatter wishing every morning could be like this one. The phone ringing interrupted his thoughts. Walking into the other room he snatched up the receiver hoping it wasn't another problem. "Winchester. Good morning, Mrs. Sheppard. He's fine. He's talking Dean and Bobby's ears off as we speak. You do? Sure. I'd love to help you out but I don't think I should leave my boys today. He does. Okay, I'll tell him. Thanks again, Mrs. Sheppard. Bye"

Hanging up the phone he walked back into the kitchen to find three pairs of eyes staring intently at him. "That was Mrs. Sheppard. She wanted to see how you were feeling, Sammy. And she needed a favor. Her kitchen sink's stopped up and she was hoping I could fix it for her." He explained as he reclaimed his seat.

"I can do that, Johnny." Bobby said. "You should spend the day with your boys."

"Thanks, Bobby. I owe you one. She said she wouldn't get home until late this afternoon. Told me to come at 6:00." John informed him.

"No problem. And you actually owe me way more than that." Bobby announced. "C'mon boys! Let's go set up that obstacle course and start the races while your daddy cleans up this mess." Laughing Bobby led Dean and Sammy into the other room leaving John to clear the breakfast dishes.

By the time John got the dishes washed and put away the races were in full swing. He settled himself on the couch and just watched as his little boys and Bobby played on the floor. The next thing he knew he was being shaken awake. Opening his eyes he came face to face with both his boys. Sitting up he pulled his sons into his lap. "What's up, guys?" he asked.

"Daddy, Uncle Bobby said we could go to that fun restaurant again." Sammy squealed. "Can we go now? Please? I'm really hungry."

"Sammy, you can't be hungry yet its on. . ." John stopped mid word as he glanced down at his watch. "Huh, its noon already? Guess I took a little nap. Okay, go wash your hands and faces and we'll head out."

Minutes later they all piled into the impala. Pulling out of the driveway John cautiously surveyed the road. Deciding the coast was clear he turned onto the highway and set off for the restaurant.

At the restaurant the boys gulped down their chicken nuggets and French fries. They then waited as patiently as they could for their dad and uncle to finish eating so they could go out to play. When the men finally finished their meal, both boys quickly steered them outside to the huge play place. Dean and Sammy raced to the slide shouting and laughing. The next hour was spent with Dean, Sammy, and eventually John, and Bobby playing on the equipment and having a blast.

Everything was going great until they pulled back into their driveway and saw the police car. _"Shit! I knew it was too good to be true." _John thought as he parked the car. Climbing out of the impala he took his boys by the hand and started for the door stopping as the door to the police car opened.

Officer Pulliam stepped out of his car and strolled over to the Winchesters grinning from ear to ear. It wasn't often that he got to bring good news to families. "Afternoon. Thought I'd come by to see how Sammy's doing." Kneeling down in front of the small boy the officer asked, "How are you feeling, sport?"

"I'm great! We went to the fun restaurant and we got to play for a long, long time and daddy and Uncle Bobby even played with us!" Sammy recounted.

Ruffling the youngest Winchesters' hair Officer Pulliam laughed. "Really? It sounds like you had a great time. Maybe I can go with you next time." Standing back up he faced John. "I've got some news, too. Do you think we could talk for a minute?"

"Sure. Boys go on in the house with Uncle Bobby. I'm going to talk with Officer Pulliam and then I'll be in." John ordered. Once the boys were out of earshot he asked, "Alright, what's going on?"

"Calm down, Mr. Winchester. Everything's fine." Officer Pulliam soothed. "I just thought you'd like to know that Mrs. Pool's been sent to the local hospital for a psychological evaluation. She's there on a seventy-two hour hold and after all the ruckus she caused at the school and then the police station she'll probably be there for a long time to come."

"That's great news." John said. "It's about time something went right."

"I can't agree more. Listen, I have to get back to the station. I just wanted to tell you the news in person." Officer Pulliam told him as he shook John's hand. "And don't worry, if anything changes, you'll be the first person I call."

"Thanks for everything, Officer Pulliam. You've been a great help with both problems." John praised. He watched the officer hop back in his car and back out of the driveway before turning and going into his house feeling safe for the first time in a long time.

A few hours later Bobby grabbed his toolbox and trudged out the door. He climbed into his old truck, pulled out of the driveway, and turned left headed to Mrs. Sheppard's house. He had a sink to fix. Several minutes later he was standing at her door knocking.

Mrs. Sheppard schooled her expression and opened her door. "Hello, Mr. Singer." She greeted. "Thanks for coming and helping me out."

"No, problem ma'am. And call me Bobby. Mr. Singer makes me sound old. I should really be thanking you. Coming here saved me from playing hide and seek with the boys." Bobby told her. "Now just point me in the direction of the kitchen and I'll see what I can do."

"Right this way, Mr., I mean Bobby. "Go right through that door." Mrs. Sheppard directed hiding her smile.

Bobby stepped through the door and walked smack into the middle of some kind of party. Women filled the room and they all seemed to be staring at him. Crap! It was a setup! Bobby quickly turned around determined to get out the door. He was blocked by Mrs. Sheppard and Ms. Bridges.

"Sorry Bobby. You can't leave yet. The party's just starting." Mrs. Sheppard informed him with a sly wink. "By the way, John says, "Hi". Turning to the group she announced, Hey girls! Look! The stripper's here!"

"_Stripper?"_ Bobby thought as he looked around searching for the man. He turned beet red as he realized that all the women were staring at him. _"Oh, shit!"_

Ms. Bridges reached over and turned on the music. "C'mon Bobby! Get your groove on!" She yelled laughing as the man turned an even darker shade of red.

With no way out Bobby conceded defeat. Setting down his toolbox he steeled himself for what was ahead. As he started to slowly unbutton his shirt to the ladies' cheers one thought crossed his mind: _"I hate prank wars!"_

The End

An- Before anyone starts saying EWWWW, remember Bobby's about twenty years younger in this fic.

"No, David!" was written by David Shannon.


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